More than meets the Hawkeye
by Torchwhovian
Summary: Charlie Harrison has had her share of problems which include, but are not limited to, a deadbeat ex and father to her son, bad luck in relationships, and overall a disinterest in love. She gets a new job in a New York hospital and across the hall from a man who goes on a suspicious amount of business trips. Hawkeye/OC
1. Chapter 1

Charlie Harrison took cover behind a corner and peeked around it, seeing if her enemy was in sight. The hallway was clear and she made her way carefully, her weapon in front of her, ready to fire. Footsteps behind her alerted her to the fact that her enemy was gaining on her position so she started to run. Her mistake was glancing behind her as she ran and she ran into a man. She would have knocked them both to the ground had the man not caught her.

"Are you okay?" He asked as she looked around, picking up the pistol from the carpet.

"I found you!" A small boy ran down the hallway, firing his Nerf gun and pelting his mother with the small foam darts as she stood.

"I would have gotten away if I wasn't so clumsy." Charlie squirted him with her water pistol, causing the boy to squeal. She tucked the toy into her back pocket and introduced herself to the man. "Charlie Harrison. This is Jeremy."

"Clint Barton." He shook her hand and returned her smile. "I hate to tell you but I think you aren't meant to be a secret agent."

"I guess I'll stick to my day job then." Charlie chuckled. "We just moved in and we are procrastinating unpacking everything."

Clint smiled. "I get it. I hate moving. Which apartment did you move into?"

"We're in 115." Jeremy chirped.

"Looks like we're neighbors." Clint said, winking at the seven year old. "It's good to know that such a sharp shooter is keeping watch in the halls."

Jeremy giggled and tugged on his mother's shirt. "I'm hungry."

"That sounds like my cue to get some dinner." Charlie said. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Barton."

"She can't cook." Jeremy whispered conspiratorially, drawing a chuckle from Clint and a playful shove from his mother. "She's going to order something."

"Let's go Jer." Charlie opened the door and Clint could see that she wasn't kidding about needing to unpack. Inside their apartment, the Harrison's debated on what to order but when they finally settled on pizza, Jeremy went to his room to dig through boxes until he found his comic books. Charlie pulled her hair into a ponytail and got to work on unpacking while she waited for their pizza to come. She managed to make a dent in the boxes when the pizza came.

"So, what do you think of our new place?" Charlie asked Jeremy as he picked the pepperoni off his pizza.

"It's not bad." Jeremy said as he shoved his slice in his mouth.

Charlie licked the grease off her fingers and checked the time. "Okay, your grandma will be here in thirty minutes. I'm going to get ready for work."

"Ok." Jeremy said simply, arranging the stray pepperoni in a circle.

Charlie showered and changed into her scrubs then braided her hair to keep it out of the way. She heard her mom being greeted by Jeremy and grabbed her ID badge on the way to say hi.

"Thanks so much, Mom." Charlie kissed her mother on the cheek. "I haven't got a babysitter set up for him yet while I'm working the graveyard shift."

"Not a problem at all, sweetheart." Emma assured her daughter.

"There's pizza left over. Jeremy doesn't have any homework since it's his first day tomorrow." Charlie gave her mother the phone number for the hospital she now worked at. She lowered her voice for her next instructions. "Brian shouldn't stop by but if he does, call me."

"Isn't it Jeremy's weekend to spend with his father?" Emma asked, her tone matching Charlie's.

"Yeah but 'something' came up." Charlie rolled her eyes as she tugged on her jacket. "It's just an excuse for having a date but whatever."

"You're going to be late." Emma chastised Charlie. "Go. We'll be fine."

"Okay." Charlie kissed the top of Jeremy's head before she left. "Be good and I'll see you in the morning. Love you."

"Love you too." Jeremy called before she closed the door behind her.

"How are we feeling tonight, Mr. Ferguson?" Charlie asked the elderly man as she checked his vitals.

"I'm doing just fine, dear." Mr. Ferguson smiled warmly at her and she returned it.

"Wonderful." Charlie made a mark on his chart and made sure he didn't need anything else before she left the man to sleep. The night started calmly but around midnight there was a multiple car pile up and suddenly the emergency room was full of new patients. Charlie moved quickly, assisting where she could, but she also had rounds to do on her own patients so there wasn't much she could do to help. By the time the sun came up, Charlie was ready to have coffee pumped into her with an IV but she powered through and greeted Jeremy with a smile when she got home.

Emma had unpacked a large portion of the living room and kitchen, insisting that it was no trouble and she was happy to help. Jeremy had already gotten dressed and ate breakfast by the time Charlie got home so she poured herself some coffee in a travel mug and the pair got into a cab to go visit Jeremy's school. When bus and class schedules were retrieved, Charlie went home to get some sleep. She ran into Clint in the hallway.

"What happened to you?" Clint asked, referring to her blood stained scrub top. Charlie had kept her jacket zipped while at Jeremy's school but took it off in the cab home.

"Work. I'm a nurse at St. Mark's." Charlie shrugged. "It's all in a night's work."

"I see." Clint replied. "I was just going out to get some coffee. Would you want to join me?"

"Thanks but I'm going to bed." Charlie smiled apologetically. "Maybe some other time."

"Sounds good." Clint smiled back at her.

Charlie disappeared into her apartment and stripped off her dirty scrubs, dropping the clothes by the bed. She changed into some clean pajamas before flopping on the mattress. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.

**A/N: I feel like there aren't enough Barton/OC stories out there and while I do kind of ship Clintasha, I like some diversity in the pairings. Please let me know what you think. I know this chapter is kind of boring but it'll pick up. Reviews are welcome. **


	2. Chapter 2

"There was so many new kids and I wasn't the only one!" Jeremy said happily as Charlie walked him up to their apartment from the bus stop. "Plus they said that you can see Iron Man sometimes when he flies around."

"Whoa. That is pretty cool." Charlie smiled at her son, taking a break of looking through the fliers for his school events. "A bake sale?"

"I told them that you can't cook and they said it was okay." Jeremy offered helpfully as Charlie opened the door.

"Ha ha." She laughed sarcastically. "Well, I am going to surprise you. I'll make some cookies for your oh so fancy bake sale."

"Uh oh." Jeremy tossed his backpack in his room and came running back a minute later. "Where'd you put my comic books?"

"No comics until after homework." Charlie put his math homework in front of him. "No puppy eyes either."

"Fine." Jeremy huffed and sat down to do his homework. "Is dad coming this weekend?"

"I'll call him and see." Charlie promised with a smile. "What sounds good for dinner tonight?"

"I dunno." Jeremy shrugged. "Can we invite Mr. Barton?"

"Why?" Charlie was surprised at his question.

"I saw him at the bus stop and he promised he'd have a Nerf fight with me." Jeremy said. "Plus if you're gonna make cookies, he can help you put the fire out."

"Oh, is that so?" Charlie started to tickle Jeremy. "Who is gonna help you get away now?"

Jeremy laughed so hard that he snorted and Charlie let him go with a kiss pressed to his temple. "If you want to invite Mr. Barton over, that's fine. But finish your homework first."

Charlie ordered extra takeout to make sure there was enough for the three of them and found a box of cookie mix in the cabinet. She had the batter made and the cookies in the oven when their food arrived and Jeremy knocked on Clint's door.

"Mom says you can come over for dinner." Jeremy smiled up at Clint when he opened the door. "It's takeout, don't worry."

Clint chuckled until he heard Charlie shout from her apartment.

"Mom?" Jeremy started to enter the apartment but Clint made him wait outside. Clint found Charlie inside, frantically dumping water into the oven and smoke was pouring out.

"What's going on?" Clint asked, not really sure what he was looking at.

"Bake sale!" Charlie replied, the fire finally out. Jeremy came back in the apartment as she opened the windows. "I was making cookies and I guess some of the batter fell on the heating element and caught fire."

She looked to Jeremy, who thought this was funny, and said, "Store bought cookies okay with you?"

Jeremy nodded and Charlie nodded back, brushing her hair out of her face. "Well, food's here. I hope everybody is hungry."

Clint looked from Charlie to Jeremy and started to chuckle at the sight in front of him. Charlie opened all the takeout containers while Jeremy got the plates and chopsticks, then dished their own food onto each of their plates. The apartment was still pretty smokey so they sat on the balcony to eat.

"How long have you lived here, Mr. Barton?" Charlie asked.

"Few years." Clint said, around a mouth full of noodles. Jeremy had finished his food quickly and scampered off to find his comic books. "What about you? Why'd you move to New York?"

"There's a lot of reasons." Charlie took a sip of her water.

"Top three?" Clint asked.

Charlie sighed. "Better job, closer to my family, better schools."

"I get the feeling those aren't the real reasons." Clint set his plate off to the side.

"You would be correct." Charlie admitted. "The real reason is I caught my ex in bed with my best friend. So I packed us up and moved here."

"I'm sorry." Clint offered but Charlie shrugged it off with a smile.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?"

"Mom! I can't find my action figures!" Jeremy shouted from his room.

"Excuse me. There's an action figure crisis." Charlie apologized as she stood. Clint chuckled and picked up their plates, putting them on the counter. He realized that she was the only person he knew with a house phone when it started to ring. She joined him in the kitchen and answered it.

"Brian, no. You promised you would be here last weekend." She turned away from Clint and lowered her voice. "Because it's his birthday on Friday. He's going to be devastated if you're not here."

Clint made himself scarce by looking at the pictures hanging around the living room and down the hall. Most of them were Charlie and Jeremy but there were a few with an older woman, probably Charlie's mother if he had to guess. His picture following lead him to Jeremy's room, where the boy was playing with Avengers action figures. "What you got there, buddy?"

Jeremy smiled at Clint as he sat next to him. He held up each action figure as he spoke about them. "This is Iron Man. He's cool but he blows a lot of stuff up. Here's Hulk. Don't make him angry."

Clint chuckled at the boy's descriptions as they continued. "This is Black Widow. She's scary but awesome. Here's Captain America. Mom says he's the best."

"Who do you think is the best?" Clint asked, mostly for his own amusement.

Jeremy held up his Hawkeye action figure. "Him. He's the best. He can hit anything with his arrows. Plus he's friends with all of the Avengers."

Clint smiled at the boy's words and they both looked up when Charlie came into the room. "I hope he isn't bothering you."

"Nope. No bother at all." Clint assured her. "He was telling me about the Avengers."

"Jeremy, your grandma's gonna be here soon." Charlie said.

"Sounds like that's my cue." Clint stood up.

"You don't have to go yet, if you don't want to." Charlie stammered. "I think Jeremy likes having another guy around."

"I'd stay if I could but I have a...business trip in the morning." Clint replied.

"Say good night, Jeremy." Charlie told him and her son echoed her words. "I'll walk you out."

"Thanks for dinner." Clint said when they reached the door.

"No problem. Sorry about the fire. Normally we eat at the table." Charlie chuckled. "How long is your business trip?"

"If everything goes the way it should, a few days." Clint said. "At most a week."

"I hope it all goes the way it should, then." Charlie said, opening the door. "Have a safe trip."

Clint was at his door before he turned around and asked, "Would you want to get dinner with me when I get back?"

"In a few days or a week?" Charlie asked mischievously.

"A few days." Clint chuckled.

"Oh good because a week is just no good." Charlie teased. Her cell phone chirped in her pocket. "That's my cue to get ready for work. I'll see you later."

**A/N: Wow, guys! The response to the first chapter was amazing! I love all of you! Thanks to those who read/review/follow/favorite this story. Please leave a review on your way out. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

"It's one date." Charlie said, unscrewing the cap from her water bottle and taking a sip. One of her coworkers, Sarah, had been warning her about men in New York. "Do you know how long it's been since I've been on a date?"

"I'm going to guess a few years." Sarah teased.

"You are surprisingly accurate." Charlie replied. "Besides, he seems nice despite the fact that he already cancelled."

"Why did he cancel?" Sarah asked.

"His business trip got extended or something." Charlie shrugged.

"He's hot, isn't he?" Sarah poked Charlie with the tip of her pen.

"That is beside the point." Charlie chuckled, checking the time. Ten more minutes and she was off then she could finish her party plans for Jeremy's eighth birthday party. There was some sort of fair in Central Park and it was Jeremy's only request for his birthday. Charlie sent some invitations with Jeremy to school and then got some sleep. Too soon her alarm went off and she dragged herself out of bed and into the shower.

A little while later, she was dragging a brush through her brunette hair and put it in a ponytail. She checked her appearance in her mirror, making sure her jeans fit right and her shirt didn't rise too much, then headed out to pick up Jeremy's birthday present: a collector's copy of _The Hobbit_. It was wrapped and waiting for Jeremy when he got home from school.

"Is that mine?" Jeremy dropped his backpack on the floor as soon as he saw the present on the counter.

"Why, yes it is." Charlie smiled at him.

"Can I open it?" Jeremy asked, his puppy eyes in full force.

"Not yet. Wait for grandma to get here." Charlie said. "But you can get dressed for the fair tonight."

"Awesome!" Jeremy bolted to his room and changed out of his school clothes, re emerging in jeans and a t shirt. "Let's go!"

"We're waiting on Grandma, remember?" No sooner were the words out of her mouth than there was a knock on the door. Emma was let in with smiles and a bag full of presents in her arms.

"Can I open them now?" Jeremy begged. Charlie and Emma shared a look and nodded. Jeremy wasted no time in tearing the wrapping paper off his presents. Emma had brought him more action figures and comics. When he was through with the presents, they went out for dinner before the fair. They were almost done with dinner when Charlie's phone rang.

"Mom, can you watch him?" Charlie asked her mother. "I have to take this."

"Of course." Emma smiled.

Charlie went outside to take the call. "Damn it, Brian. Where the hell are you?"

"I'm in Vegas." Brian was shouting into the phone and Charlie could hear the casino noise in the background.

"You are aware that it's your son's birthday, right?" Charlie snapped.

"Oh, damn." Brian groaned. "I totally forgot. Put him on, will ya?"

"No. You've disappointed him enough." Charlie replied, snapping her phone closed and going back inside. Jeremy was finishing his soda. "Who's ready for the fair?"

"Dad's not coming, is he?" Jeremy was disappointed and hurt.

Charlie knelt in front of him and took his hands in hers. "No. He got called in for work. It's time and a half and he had to take it, sweetie. But we're going to go to the fair and eat cotton candy until we puke, okay?"

"Okay." Jeremy gave her a halfhearted smile and they went outside to call a cab. Central Park was buzzing with people, games, and carnival rides. Jeremy's school friends met them by the ring toss and Emma stuck with him as he and his friends played games. The other children's parents had accompanied them as well. It wasn't long until Jeremy was smiling and laughing as he played. Charlie was watching him on the bumper cars when a voice made her turn.

"I hope your insurance covers underage drivers." Clint joked.

"That makes two of us." Charlie smiled. "How was your trip?"

"A bit routine." Clint replied with a shrug.

"Well, you picked an exciting night to come back. It's Jeremy's birthday." Charlie said, waving Jeremy over to her as he climbed out of the ride.

"Mr. Barton! You're here!" Jeremy high fived him eagerly.

"Yes I am." Clint pulled a small box from his pocket and gave it to him. "Happy birthday, buddy."

Jeremy opened the box and found an autograph book filled with the Avengers autographs. "No way! You had them all sign it?"

"I've got some pull." Clint smiled at him. Jeremy hugged Clint tightly and Clint hugged him back. Jeremy finally released him and ran to show his grandmother and his friends.

"That was really nice of you to give him those autographs." Charlie said. She and Clint walked several feet behind the group of children.

"It's no problem. I kind of hoped it would help my case when I explained why I had to cancel yesterday." Clint gave her a hopeful look.

"It's no big deal. You had to work." Charlie waved his concern away. "But it was a good call trying to win my favor by giving Jer a present."

"What if I win one for you too?" Clint stopped in front of the shooting gallery and picked up the toy gun. "Will that win me your favor?"

Charlie laughed. "It might."

It took less than thirty seconds for him to win the game and a large stuffed pink giraffe, which he handed to a very impressed Charlie.

"That was seriously impressive." Charlie nudged him with her elbow. Emma and the other adults had taken the kids to play some more games.

"Beginner's luck." Clint shrugged and smiled at her. He slipped his hand into hers and threaded their fingers together. Charlie smiled at the gesture.

"Oh, the Ferris wheel!" Charlie squealed. "That's my favorite."

"Let's go." Clint made his way through the crowd, not relinquishing Charlie's hand. Charlie gave the worker two tickets and they got into the bucket. She was practically bouncing in her seat and Clint smiled at her enthusiasm. Once the buckets were filled, the ride started. "The city is so beautiful at night."

"Yeah, it is." Clint couldn't help but agree. When their bucket got to the top, the ride stopped, presumably to let on more carnival goers. His gaze turned to his date for the evening and he thought she looked beautiful. She caught him staring at her.

"What?" Charlie asked.

Clint placed one hand on her neck. "You look beautiful tonight."

Charlie blushed. "So do you. I—I mean you look handsome tonight. Obviously I didn't mean beautiful-"

He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. Charlie smiled against his lips as she kissed him back. When they pulled away, the ride started moving again and they rejoined the birthday group, hand in hand.

**A/N: Seriously, the response to this story has been amazing. You guys all rock for following/favoriting/reading/reviewing and I love all of you. Please feel free to leave a review. I don't bruise easily and they are all appreciated. **

**Dalonega: Jeremy is now 8. (whoohoo) **


	4. Chapter 4

Clint knew he was going to get a little bit of crap for the autograph book but knowing that Jeremy would like it was enough to make up for it. The Avengers were at Stark Tower, scattered around the entertainment room on the top floor. Clint passed the book to Steve first.

"What's this for?" Steve asked, opening the blank pages.

"It's an autograph book." Clint gave him a pen. "It's for a friend."

"What's her name?" Tony asked, sipping from his glass of Scotch.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Clint replied, taking the book from Steve after he signed it. He passed it to Bruce next, who looked amused at where this conversation was heading.

"Mmhmm." Tony said. "If you say it like you mean it, I may believe you. What's her name?"

Clint sighed, knowing that Tony wouldn't drop it until he answered. "Her name is Charlie but the book is for her son."

"She's got a kid?" Tony raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "This just keeps getting better. Has it really been so long since you had a date that you're resorting to bribery?"

"It's not a bribe." Clint countered, giving the book to Natasha. She gave him a look but signed it. "He's a fan, that's all."

"Oh, so you're going to start having us sign for every fan you see?" Tony asked as Clint held the book out in front of him.

"Just sign it, Stark." Clint held his gaze.

"Sure thing, Legolas." Tony signed his name with a flourish. "Quick question: who's his favorite?"

"He didn't say." Clint replied too quickly.

"Yeah, he did." Tony finished his drink and went to the bar to pour another. "So who is it? Is it me? Capsicle? Romanoff? I bet it's Romanoff."

Clint looked through the book to make sure Tony didn't sign anything inappropriate. He'd have to call in a favor to have Thor sign it but that wasn't a big deal. Tony tossed an ice cube at the back of his head and Clint stopped. "It's me."

Tony started to laugh but stopped when Clint turned to stare at him. "Wait. Are you serious?"

Clint didn't reply as he got into the elevator and made his escape from Stark Tower.

Charlie had to pull a few strings but she got switched to the day shift so she could spend her nights with Jeremy. Clint had been called away on another business trip a few days after the party and Charlie hadn't heard from him since he left and that was almost two weeks ago.

"Maybe you're a horrible kisser." Sarah suggested jokingly as Charlie marked a patient's chart. A delivery boy carrying a flower arrangement stopped at the nurse's station.

"I've got a delivery for Charlie Harrison." He said, placing the flowers on the counter.

"That's me." Charlie said, taking in the large arrangement of roses. "Are you sure these are for me?"

"If you're Charlie Harrison, then yeah." He left and Charlie stared at the roses.

"Is there a card?" Sarah asked, nudging Charlie with her elbow.

Charlie found the card and pulled it out of the small envelope to read it.

_Be ready tonight at 8. _

_Clint_

"Maybe you're not a bad kisser." Sarah corrected her earlier statement.

"Excuse me, but I've dislocated my shoulder." A redheaded woman stopped the conversation. "Could you help me?"

"Of course." Charlie smiled brightly at the woman. "Let me just get a few things from you first. What's your name?"

"Natasha Romanoff." She said, clutching her shoulder and wincing in pain.

Charlie saw her wince and stood. "Let's get you taken care of."

"Thank you." Natasha smiled painfully at Charlie as she led her to a bed. Drawing the curtain for some privacy, Charlie put gloves on and felt Natasha's shoulder. "Those were very pretty flowers. Were they from your husband?"

"I'm not married." Charlie corrected with a friendly tone.

"Sorry." Natasha winced again as Charlie examined her shoulder. "Boyfriend then?"

"More like a neighbor I went on a date with." Charlie smiled as she thought about the date. "Well, it was kind of a date. It was my son's birthday at the carnival two weeks ago."

"You haven't heard from him since?" Natasha asked.

"He's on a business trip." Charlie explained. She had developed a technique that allowed her to pop a dislocated shoulder back and have it be relatively painless. She put Natasha's shoulder back with a click. "You're all set."

"Impressive." Natasha stretched her arm and stood. "Thank you."

"No problem." Charlie smiled again. "I can ask a doctor to write a prescription for painkillers, if you think you'll need them."

"No. I'll be fine." Natasha replied and left.

"Char, if you want to head out, I'll finish your paperwork." Sarah told her when she returned.

"Thanks, Sarah." Charlie checked her watch. "I've got to pick up Jeremy and get him ready to hang out at his dad's this weekend."

"Good luck with that." Sarah said as Charlie picked up the vase. Charlie had told her about Brian and his inability to keep a promise to Jeremy.

Charlie called Brian again to make sure he was waiting at her apartment when she got there. She picked up Jeremy and he was excited to see Brian waiting for him.

"Dad!" Jeremy hugged Brian tightly.

"Hey buddy." Brian ruffled his hair when Jeremy released him. Charlie unlocked the apartment and let them in.

"That's what Mr. Barton calls me." Jeremy tossed his backpack on the couch.

"Who's Mr. Barton?" Brian tossed a pointed glance at Charlie.

"He's Mom's boyfriend." Jeremy quipped.

"What?" Brian said at the same time Charlie said, "Why don't you go get your suitcase, Jer?"

"Okay." Jeremy ran to his room.

"You're dating?" Brian asked Charlie.

"It's none of your business." Charlie said, getting a bottle of water from the fridge.

"It's you." Brian said, stepping closer to the counter. "Of course it's my business."

"Pretty sure you lost any say you had in my life when you started sleeping with Stephanie." Charlie snapped. "What I do in my spare time isn't any of your business."

"Who you bring around my kid is my business." Brian spit back. "Who you're screwing when Jeremy's in the house is my business."

Charlie slapped him across the face hard enough to make her hand tingle. She whispered venomously, "The only reason you get to see him is because it's court ordered. My life is my business. Moreover, I'm not screwing anybody and even if I was, it's none of your damn business."

"Is everything okay?" Clint asked. Charlie had left her door open and he heard the slap as he came up the hallway.

"Yeah." Charlie told him, glaring at Brian. "Just waiting on Jeremy to get his things and then they're heading out."

Clint could see the hand print on Brian's face and wanted to smile. If looks could kill, Brian would be dead from the glare Charlie was sending his way. Jeremy diffused the tension by coming back with his duffel bag and giving Clint a high five.

"Call me if you want to come home early, okay?" Charlie told Jeremy as she gave him a kiss goodbye.

"I'll be fine, Mom." Jeremy promised and left with Brian.

Charlie watched her son until he and Brian got into the elevator before closing the door.

"What happened?" Clint asked her.

"Brian's an ass." Charlie grumbled in lieu of an explanation. "How was your trip?"

"Profitable." Clint said. Their relationship was still in the beginning, semi-awkward stage so he wasn't sure if he should kiss her right now or not. He was looking forward to figuring out all of this though.

"Thanks for the flowers, by the way." Charlie let out a deep breath and smiled.

"What flowers?" Clint asked.

"The roses you sent to me at work." Charlie pointed to the vase now sitting on her table. "Telling me to be ready at 8. Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." Clint lied. He wasn't the one who sent those roses but he had a pretty good idea of who did.

**A/N: Thanks so much to those of you who have read/reviewed/followed/favoritied this story. You all inspire me to get the chapters up that much quicker. If you have a moment, please hop over and read my Avengers/Agents of SHIELD crossover and my Thor fics. Please leave a review on your way out. **

**Dalonega: You wish is my command. I hope you enjoyed the Tony banter. :)**

**Guest: Why, thank you. :)**

**Robin: I'm glad you enjoy it and thanks for your review. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

It had taken Clint all of two seconds to figure out that Tony had sent Charlie the flowers in an attempt to meet her. It had taken another second to know that Charlie meeting the others wasn't going to happen yet. So, he took her to a bar that he was sure Tony had never heard of. They had just arrived and ordered drinks when Clint heard a voice that made him sigh in defeat.

"Look who's here." Tony said, arriving with Pepper on his arm.

"Tony." Clint sounded less than amused as he turned to look at Tony. Charlie looked confused at Clint's tone and the apparent glare war going on between the two men.

"Sorry, did I miss something?" Charlie whispered to Clint.

"No." Clint took a drink from his beer. "Charlie, this is Tony Stark. He's just leaving."

"Why would I do that?" Tony asked Clint, mock offended. "We just got here, Legolas."

"Legolas?" Charlie asked.

"What are you doing here, Tony?" Clint asked.

"Just wanted to meet the girl who has you in a tizzy." Tony winked at Clint and smiled at Charlie. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Very nice to meet you as well." Charlie replied with a friendly smile. "Do you want to join us?"

"Charlie, that's not a good-" Clint started to say.

"Love to." Tony interrupted. He waved the waitress over and ordered a bottle of scotch, claiming seats in the booth for himself and Pepper. "You know, Charlie, I have to say I'm surprised you don't know who I am."

"Should I?" Charlie asked, glancing at Clint.

"Kind of." Tony shrugged. "I'm Iron Man. Part of the Avengers."

"My son loves you guys." Charlie took a drink from her beer.

"How old is your son?" Pepper asked. She offered a smile to the waitress when she brought the scotch and two glasses over.

"He just turned eight." Charlie smiled when she mentioned Jeremy. "Thanks so much for signing his book for him, Tony. It's his favorite gift."

"It's no problem." Tony replied.

"I'm gonna go powder my nose." Charlie excused herself.

"I'll come with you." Pepper volunteered.

"Tony, what the hell?" Clint asked after the girls had gone.

"I just wanted to meet the girl you were trying to so hard to hide from me." Tony feigned innocence.

"She doesn't know that I work for SHIELD." Clint growled.

"That would probably get you a little action." Tony quipped. "So she has no clue that you're her son's favorite hero?"

"No, she doesn't." Clint said.

"Why?" Tony asked.

"I have my reasons." Clint sighed. "Can you just keep it under wraps for a while?"

"Sure thing, Katniss." Tony winked at him as the girls exited the restroom. Charlie's phone rang while she was walking and told Pepper she was going outside to answer it.

"Yeah, this is Charlie Harrison." Charlie said into the speaker.

"Miss Harrison, this is Dr. Hopkins from St. Mark's hospital." Dr. Hopkins said. "Your son Jeremy has been in an accident and we need you to come in."

"Of course. Is he okay?" Charlie asked, trying not to panic.

"I can't go into the extent of his injuries over the phone. Just please come in as soon as possible." Dr. Hopkins hung up the phone and Charlie went back to the others to get her bag.

"What's wrong?" Clint asked, the worry evident on Charlie's face.

"Jeremy's been in an accident. I have to go." Charlie said quickly. "I'm so sorry."

"No, it's fine." Clint pulled some bills from his pocket and tossed them on the table. "Let's go."

Charlie walked through the crowded bar quickly with Clint following and they hailed a cab. She tried to call Brian but he didn't answer. Sarah was waiting outside of the hospital for her and showed her where she could find Jeremy. He was in a section of the emergency room set up for severe trauma and when Charlie opened the door and saw a swarm of doctors hovering over her son, she was able to keep it together. When a doctor moved and she saw his face was bruised, bloody, and gashed she muffled a sob. It was worse when one of the doctors had to set a bone in his arm and Jeremy screamed in agony when they set it.

"It's okay, baby." Charlie said, every bone in her body wanting to shove the doctors out of the way and comfort her son. She wished Clint had come into the trauma room with her but he was in the waiting room. "You're going to be okay."

"Mom!" Jeremy called, tears streaming down his face. "Mommy."

"Are you his mother?" Dr. Hopkins asked, finally noticing Charlie.

"Yeah. What happened?" Charlie asked, swallowing the lump in her throat and wiping her eyes.

"He was in a cab when it collided with another car. Thankfully he was wearing his seatbelt." Dr. Hopkins said. "He's got a broken arm and several lacerations. However, a piece of glass went through his chest and lodged itself in his heart. We haven't removed it yet but we're taking him up to surgery right now."

"He was with his father. Do you know where his father is?" Charlie asked, eyes stinging with tears.

"He was alone when he was brought in. I'm sorry." Dr. Hopkins said.

Jeremy was wheeled past her and she gave him a kiss as she walked next to the gurney. He was given pain medicine and he had fallen asleep. Charlie wasn't sure how she ended up in the waiting room. Maybe one of the nurses had shown her where to go. All she knew was Clint was suddenly in front of her. Pepper and Tony had apparently followed them because they were with Clint.

"Is he okay?" Clint asked, concerned.

Charlie's voice was full of tears when she spoke. "He's got a broken arm and s-something lodged itself in his heart. He's going up to surgery."

"Where's his dad?" Clint asked.

"I don't know." Charlie sobbed. "They said he was alone when he was brought in."

"Hey." Clint took her into his arms and stroked her hair. "He's going to be okay."

"He must have been so scared." Charlie was horrified with herself for thinking Brian could be responsible.

"Hey. I just got your message." Brian said, approaching them. "Is he okay?"

"What the hell, Brian?!" Charlie pulled herself free of Clint and shouted at Brian. "Where the hell were you?"

"Calm down!" Brian raised his hands to stop Charlie from charging at him. "I went out to get a pack of smokes and when I came back he was gone."

"Have you lost your mind?" Charlie screamed. "You left him alone?!"

"He's eight!" Brian shouted back. "I figured he'd be okay for a few minutes by himself. How'd I know the brat would get in an accident?"

Clint managed to get an arm around Charlie's waist before she launched herself at Brian. She still managed to bring her fist square into Brian's nose, blood spurting from it. "Fucking bitch!"

"I'll show you a bitch!" Charlie snarled, trying to get free from Clint's hold.

"He's not worth it, Charlie." Clint said calmly. Security had gathered but Tony handled that situation smoothly, sending the guards on their way. Clint released Charlie and she glared at Brian.

"Stay away from my son." Charlie's voice was terrifying.

"You can't keep him from me." Brian said, holding his sleeve to his nose. "He's my son too."

"Try me." Charlie growled.

"I think it's time for you to go." Tony told Brian.

"Who the hell are you?" Brian sneered.

"I'm the guy who's personal security is gonna rough you up on the way out if you don't leave now." Tony said evenly.

Brian looked from Tony to Charlie to Clint before he turned and walked away, his sleeve still to his nose.

"Remind me not to piss you off." Tony told Charlie. "You have a mean right hook."

Charlie found herself smiling a little at his statement before her thoughts turned back to Jeremy. She paced the floor for the majority of the time that Jeremy was in surgery. Pepper and Tony had left shortly after the scene with Brian but Clint stayed. When Charlie did sit down, she was bouncing her knee nervously.

"I appreicate you staying but you don't have to. I understand." Charlie said.

Clint reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "I know."

Charlie checked the time again and sighed, looking up at Sarah when she approached. "How is he?"

"He did just fine." Sarah smiled and Charlie let out the breath she had been holding. "You can see him now."

The pair followed Sarah to Jeremy's room. He was still a little sleepy but Charlie was just happy that he was okay now. "Hey sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired." Jeremy yawned.

"Okay. Get some sleep. I'm going to be right here." Charlie promised, tucking the blanket around him gently.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Clint asked her softly so he wouldn't wake Jeremy.

"No. That's okay." Charlie smiled. "You already spent most of your night here."

"Call me if you need anything." Clint told her. When Charlie nodded, he leaned forward and kissed her long and deeply.

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reads/reviews/follows/favorites this story. You guys are my inspiration to update quicker! Please leave a review on your way out. :)**

**JediTara: Thanks for your review. :)**

**DatCat: For starters, I love your name. :) I'm glad that you took the time to read an OC story especially when you don't usually. **

**Ehluvr: It's good to know that you're reading them so quickly. :)**

**Dalonega: I'm glad he's in character. It's hard to get the Stark snark just right. :)**

**assantra: My feelings exactly on Clintasha. They have some chemistry but not enough for a real romance. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Since Clint didn't have any missions, he visited Jeremy while he was recovering in the hospital. Charlie worked in the hospital he was staying at and made it a point to drop in on him when she could, always bringing him a cherry Jello. She stayed there at night and had Emma bring her clothes and her shower things.

"My shift is starting." Charlie said, tugging her hair into a ponytail. She kissed the top of Jeremy's head and checked his IV. "I'll come check on you a little later. Love you."

"Love you too." Jeremy smiled. He continued playing with his action figures until Clint came to see him.

"How are you feelin'?" Clint asked, picking up the deck of cards and shuffling them.

"Good enough to beat you again." Jeremy giggled.

"We'll have to see about that." Clint said, dealing the cards between the two of them. Jeremy liked to play Go Fish and he won more than he lost.

"I'm sorry I ruined your date with my mom." Jeremy said, the tips of his ears reddening. "I didn't mean to."

"You didn't ruin it." Clint assured him. "Do you have any twos?"

"Go fish." Jeremy said and Clint picked up a card from the deck. "Do you have any sixes?"

He eyed Clint for a moment and spoke again. "Do you love my mom?"

"It's a little early for that." Clint replied, passing over a six. "We've only gone out a few times."

"My dad said he fell in love with my mom when he first saw her." Jeremy said matter of factly.

"Do you have any sevens?" Clint asked in lieu of an answer. Jeremy handed him a seven.

"So do you?" Jeremy asked, not willing to let the subject drop.

"Do you always worry about your mom like this?" Clint asked with a friendly tone. "Seems a little backwards."

Jeremy sighed and frowned a little. "She's lonely. I don't think she knows that I know she's sad but I do."

"She doesn't seem sad to me." Clint replied, organizing his cards.

"That's because she likes you." Jeremy perked up a little. "Do you have any tens?"

"How do you know?" Clint asked, thinking to himself that Jeremy would be a terrible spy.

"She's always smiling and laughing now. Plus she wears her happy perfume." Jeremy said, accepting the card that Clint gave him.

"Happy perfume?" Clint asked, tossing his cards on the table in defeat. How did Jeremy win so many games?

"Yeah. It smells like the beach." Jeremy smiled. "She only wears it when she's happy."

"Hey guys." Charlie came in, two bowls of Jello in her hands. She gave one to each of the boys. "How's it going?"

"He beat me again." Clint said, putting his bowl on the side table. He pointed to the stains on Charlie's scrubs. "What happened?"

"You don't want to know." Charlie promised. She tapped the tip of Jeremy's nose with her finger. "Guess who gets to go home tonight?"

"Really?" Jeremy's smile widened.

"Really." Charlie smiled back at him. "We can go home at the end of my shift."

"I can take him home for you, if you want." Clint offered.

"You don't have to do that." Charlie said.

"It's no problem." Clint insisted.

"I can call my mom to come watch him until I'm off." Charlie replied, digging in her pocket for her phone.

"I'll stay with him." Clint plucked her phone from her hands and held it behind his back, out of her reach.

"I'm working." Charlie tried to get her phone from him but he held it over his head. She was laughing as she tried to get her phone.

"I know." Clint said with a smile. "I'll take him to your apartment and stay with him until you're off. I can make dinner. A Barton secret recipe."

"What is it?" Charlie asked suspiciously, her phone forgotten.

"A surprise." Clint said, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, he was smiling.

"What?" Charlie asked, referring to his smile.

"You smell like the beach." Clint smiled and Jeremy erupted into giggles.

When Charlie got home and opened the door, the first thing that she saw was Clint with a hand towel over tossed over one shoulder, chopping vegetables faster than she thought was possible.

"Impressive." Charlie said, gesturing to the cutting board.

"I'm not just a pretty face." Clint winked at her, scraping the vegetables into a pot. Charlie leaned over the counter and picked a carrot out of the pot, narrowly avoiding a playful slap to the back of her hand.

"You never told me what you do for a living." Charlie said, wiping her hands on the towel Clint handed her.

"This and that." Clint shrugged. "Nothing very interesting."

"Where's Jeremy?" Charlie asked, looking around the apartment. A dish clattered in the sink and Clint gasped.

"I knew I forgot something." Clint had a look of mock horror on his face then started laughing. "He's in his room."

"I'm going to check on him then clean up." Charlie shrugged off her jacket. Jeremy had fallen asleep in his bed reading a book and Charlie marked his place in the book, tucked him in, and turned the light off. She disappeared into the bathroom and started the shower, allowing the water to warm up as she shed her clothes. She stepped into the hot spray, allowing the pressure to work the knots out of her neck. She wasn't one for dawdling and quickly cleaned herself then exiting the shower. She wrapped a towel around herself while she dried her hair. It fell in damp waves down her back and she dressed.

"Just in time." Clint said, placing their dinner on the table. He had made beef stew and it smelled delicious.

Charlie took a bite and moaned. "This is amazing. No wonder your family kept the recipe secret."

"Actually," Clint poured a glass of wine for them both. "I found it on the internet."

"No kidding?" Charlie asked, dipping her spoon into her bowl. "I thought people used the internet for cat memes and Facebooking."

Clint chuckled. "It does still have some practical use."

"That's good to know." Charlie took a sip from her glass. "Thank you."

"For what?" Clint asked, taking a bite of his stew.

"Dinner. For helping with Jeremy. I know you work a lot and I appreciate the help." Charlie said. "It means a lot to both of us."

"It's not a problem." Clint assured her.

After dinner, Charlie loaded the dishwasher even though Clint insisted he could do it. She sent him into the living room while she handled the task and joined him when she was done. He had turned on the news where they were debating the pros and cons of the Avengers.

"Ugh." Charlie groaned. "Those two again."

"What?" Clint asked, a little worried about her opinion.

"They're always arguing about the Avengers." Charlie sat next to him on the couch.

"What do you think about them?" Clint asked.

"They could have died but they still fought to save us." Charlie said quickly. "People like that are selfless and deserve to be thanked, not put under a microscope and dissected."

Clint found himself smiling, something that happened frequently when he was around Charlie. He took her glass from her and placed the pair of them on the coffee table. Charlie seemed to read his mind because she instigated the kiss this time, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him and groaned when her nails scraped his hairline. He let his hand slip under her shirt, squeezing the soft flesh on her hips. When she abandoned his lips to bite his neck then lick away the sting, bucking her hips against his, he let out a breathy moan. It didn't take long to move so Charlie was under him, laying on the couch and her legs wrapped around his waist as he did some teasing of his own. His lips worked their way to the hollow of her throat, eliciting a whimper from her when his tongue made contact with her skin. She pulled his lips back to hers, nipping at his lower lip and causing him to growl, grinding himself into her.

Her phone rang suddenly and she ignored it, allowing it to go to voicemail. When it started to ring again a minute later, she sighed unhappily.

"Let it ring." Clint's lips moved against hers.

"It's going to wake Jeremy." Charlie gasped as he ground himself against her again, making a valid argument for not moving. "Give me two minutes."

Clint didn't stop kissing her lips as she blindly felt the coffee table for her phone. When she opened it and answered, he focused his attention to her neck. "It's Brian."

Clint took the phone from her and said, "She's busy."

He hung up and tossed the phone onto the loveseat opposite them, throwing a pillow on top of it to muffle any future ringing. Charlie giggled but it turned into a soft moan when she felt Clint's tongue dance against hers. His hand was slipping further up her shirt when Jeremy called from his room.

"Mom, can I have some juice?" Jeremy's voice was getting closer and the adults sat up, straightening their clothes before he came into view, rubbing his eyes.

"Sure." Charlie said, her cheeks flushed and trying to catch her breath. She got up to get his drink while Clint took deep breaths to steady himself. Jeremy finished his juice and went back to bed, closing his door behind him. Charlie rinsed his glass in the sink, putting it in the dishwasher when Clint came up behind her. He brushed her hair off her neck, placing soft kisses to her shoulder. She shivered and turned to face him, her hands resting on his chest. "Clint, we can't do this while he's here."

"I understand." Clint murmured against her skin. "You busy Friday?"

"Nope." Charlie tried to remember how to speak when he nuzzled her ear, pressing his manhood against her. "Free as a bird."

"Good." Clint smiled. He took in her flushed features and mussed hair from their make out session on the couch, wanting to carry her to his bedroom across the hall. "I should say good night."

"You can stay. We just have to keep it rated G." Charlie said, looking up at him through her lashes, her fingers fiddling with the buttons on his shirt.

"The way you're looking at me right now, I don't think I can keep that promise." Clint's voice was husky. He gave her a kiss, keeping his tongue to himself, and said good night.

A blonde man was watching the video archives on SHIELD agent Clint Barton, examining his fighting style and technique.

"How's it going?" His commander, Commander Martin, asked.

"Very well." He replied.

"You understand your mission?" Martin asked as he studied the videos.

"Yes sir."

"What is your mission?"

"Take out Agent Barton by any means necessary."

"Perfect." Martin practically purred. "You can leave when you're ready, Nightblade."

Nightblade nodded once as acknowledgement of his orders and waited until Martin left before standing, putting on his armor and grabbed his blade. He boarded the jet headed for New York.

**A/N: Wowza! The response to this story has been phenomenal and you guys are amazing! Seriously, I love all of you who read/review/follow/favorite this story. Please feel free to leave a review on your way out. I don't bruise easily. :) **

**JediTara: I love your avatar. :) Also thanks for the encouragement and the review. :)**

**Dalonega: If I'm being honest, I started that chapter not knowing if he would be but it wrote itself and I was quite pleased he was okay. :) Thanks for the review doll. :)**

**peacesista: Nobody likes Brian. He's a giant ass clown. ;) But thank you for reviewing! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter is rated M. You've been warned. **

Clint was having a staring contest with the file on his coffee table. The crazy part: he was losing. Natasha had brought it to him herself, having collected the information on Charlie. She insisted that he read it and avoid any surprises. He wanted to find out her secrets like a normal person but he also wanted to read the file. With a defeated sigh, he snatched the file and opened it.

_Charlie Jean Harrison_

_Age: 28 _

_Hair color: Brown_

_Eye color: Brown _

_Subject history:_

_Subject is currently employed at St. Mark's hospital as a nurse practitioner. Subject has graduated medical school at the top of her class. She does have one child, Jeremy Simon Harrison. \_

Clint read the rest of the file and his stomach dropped to his knees. She had been through so much hurt in her life. She had been taken from her parents when she was six years old because they had beaten her within an inch of her life, breaking most of the bones in her arms. After that she was in and out of group and foster homes every few months until she turned 17. She was taken in by Emma Thompson and had stayed with her ever since, considering Emma her mother. Charlie had gotten married when she was 18 to Brian and divorced him less than two years later. They dated off and on until six months ago when she left and relocated from Iowa to New York. Jeremy was a sickly child, having battled and beaten cancer when he was three. He was currently in remission and was healthy. Charlie had been a doctor, but stepped down into the role of nurse when Jeremy was diagnosed.

"How in the hell is she so happy?" Clint muttered to himself. He closed the file and tossed it on the table. He had only been dating Charlie for a few weeks but he had fallen for her—hard. This just added to his feelings for her. She had been through so much and stayed so strong and happy. His phone buzzed as he picked up dinner.

_Charlie: Hey handsome. ;) I have to work a double so rain check on dinner?_

_**Sure. No problem. **_

Clint had no intention of missing dinner with her tonight and got to her hospital a little while later.

"So, have you and your boy toy done the dirty?" Sarah waggled her eyebrows at Charlie.

"Not yet." Charlie tossed a paper clip at Sarah's head. "I want to maintain some boundaries when Jeremy's in the apartment."

"I get it." Sarah nodded, picking at her sandwich. She had been drooling over Clint since Charlie showed her a picture of him. "But how can you be that close to him and not want to jump his bones?"

"I didn't say that." Charlie chuckled. "He's hot and-"

"He's here." Sarah said, spying Clint coming down the hall.

"What?" Charlie spun around and felt herself blush at the thought that he may have heard their conversation. Clint was smiling when he got to the nurse's station. "Hey babe."

"Hello." He leaned over the counter and gave her a chaste kiss.

"What are you doing here?" Charlie asked, ignoring Sarah giggling beside her.

"I brought you some dinner." Clint held up the paper bag. "When's your break?"

"You can go now, Char." Sarah suggested. "I have this under control."

"You sure?" Charlie asked Sarah.

"Yep." Sarah popped the 'p'. "Besides, I think the on call room is empty so you two can go in there."

Sarah winked at Charlie, who poked her friend in the side, before walking around the counter.

"What's the on call room?" Clint asked when they were away from the nurse's station.

"It's for when doctors or nurses need to get some sleep but can't go home. Most people just use it to hook up though." Charlie realized the implications of her words a second later. "Not that I'm assuming that's what we should use it for. I was just saying-"

"Charlie." Clint interrupted her, chuckling. He opened the door to the on call room and clicked the light on. "How about we eat before it gets cold?"

"Sounds good." Charlie said, embarrassed.

"Are you ready for this weekend?" Clint asked, using a fork to stab a dumpling.

"The whole weekend?" Charlie took a sip of her water. "I thought we were just going out on Friday."

"We were." Clint replied, leaning over to kiss her. "But then I decided I wanted you to myself for a few days."

"What about Jeremy?" Charlie asked between kisses.

"I called in a favor with Stark." Clint replied, letting her return to her food. "He can watch Jeremy."

"Has he ever babysat before?" Charlie asked.

"Pepper will be there." Clint soothed her worries. "We won't be very far. My family has a house upstate. It's surrounded by trees so it's nice and private. There's a lake and we can go swimming."

Charlie thought about it for a minute and Clint tried to sweeten the deal. "There's a hot tub."

"It sounds nice." Charlie admitted as she picked up the take out containers and tossed the empty ones in the trash.

Clint stood and pulled her close, his hands on her hips and kissing her between words. "You and me alone all weekend."

"You've got yourself a date, mister." Charlie promised.

Friday couldn't come fast enough. Jeremy was ecstatic to spend the weekend with Iron Man and Tony was excited to show off. Pepper assured Charlie that he would be fine when she dropped her son off and then she and Clint were on their way. The house was beautiful and bigger than any house Charlie had ever been in before, with the exception of Stark Tower. Clint took their suitcases up to the master bedroom and joined her on the deck.

"This place is beautiful." Charlie was admiring the woods and lake.

"I like to come here to relax." Clint said. "You want to go for a walk?"

"It looks like rain." Charlie glanced at the clouds.

"We won't go far." Clint took her hand and led her down the path to the woods. They followed the path, talking and making jokes until they reached a ridge. There was a target set up with dozens of small holes scattered on the bulls eye. Clint dug around in a fallen tree, producing a bow and a quiver of arrows.

"I get why Tony calls you Legolas." Charlie watched him set an arrow to the bow and let it fly, hitting the bulls eye easily. "Did you just bring me up here to show off?"

"Partly." Clint admitted. "Come here."

Charlie moved to stand next to him and he handed her the bow, standing behind her as he helped her fit the arrow properly. He put one arm around her, resting his hand on her stomach.

"Tighten the muscles here." He said softly, his breath causing her hair to move a bit. He raised her right elbow a few centimeters. "Pull the string back gently."

Charlie did as she was told, her mind racing at having him pressed so closely to her.

"Remember to breathe." Clint told her and she could hear the smile in his voice as she let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Then let it go."

The string was released with a twang and she actually managed to hit the target, even though it was on the edge and shouldn't have counted. Clint was smiling when she turned to face him, smiling herself.

"There's something sexy about you with a bow." Clint said, wrapping his other arm around her waist and kissing her. Thunder clapped overhead and rain started to fall.

"I told you so." Charlie teased him as it started to rain harder. Clint let her go so he could put away the bow and arrow before grabbing her hand, jogging down the path. By the time they got to the house, they were drenched, shoes covered in mud, and laughing.

"I'm tracking mud all over the floor." Charlie said between giggles. They took off their shoes and pants, leaving them in a heap on the kitchen floor. "I'm going to get changed."

"Need some help?" Clint asked, walking her backwards until her back was against the counter. He took her shirt off, tossing it with their other clothes. He pulled his shirt off and let it fall, pressing his body to hers and leaning down to kiss her. Her skin was chilled from the cold rain and he loved the feeling. Charlie pulled him closer as she deepened the kiss, letting her hands roam down his chest to the waistband of his boxers. She slipped her hand inside and stroked him gently, causing him to gasp in surprise. When her strokes became more definite and sure, he growled against her lips.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" Charlie whispered.

Clint's answer was to scoop her up in his arms and take her to the master bedroom, putting her down on the bed and covering her body with his. He kissed his way down her neck to her chest, unclasping her bra as he did so. He removed the garment, throwing it in the general direction of the floor before he took her nipple in his mouth, sucking gently. It caused Charlie to moan and buck her hips against his, making him groan as well. Her hands weren't idle as he teased her. She pushed his boxers down over his hips and he stopped to finish the task for her, removing her panties as well.

Charlie lay in front of him, unashamed of her body and Clint drank in the sight of her. "You're beautiful."

"Come here." Charlie beckoned him with a finger and he was only too happy to follow her command. She pushed him down on the mattress, straddling him and kissing his neck. She reached between them and resumed stroking his now throbbing manhood as he claimed her lips, palming one breast and rubbing her nipple with his thumb. When she stopped using her hand to tease him and started rubbing herself against him, Clint rolled and had her underneath him in seconds. He held her hands above her head, holding her wrists in one hand while he used the other to slip one finger inside of her, groaning when he felt how tight she was. He added a second digit and Charlie moaned his name loudly, causing his cock to twitch. "Stop teasing me. Please."

Clint didn't need anymore prompting, placing himself at her opening and pushing inside. She raised her hips, wrapping her legs around his waist, allowing him to bury himself deeper inside of her. He started to move slowly, letting them both adjust to this position and Charlie dug her nails into his shoulders as the speed quickened. Charlie wasn't a passive person and this included her behavior in bed. She hooked one leg around Clint's and rolled him onto his back. She did what he had done to her, pinning his arms above his head as she rode him, kissing him passionately. Clint could feel her tighten around him, signifying that she was close to orgasm and moved his hips to match her thrust for thrust. She whimpered his name against his lips as she came a moment after he did.

Charlie moved off of him, laying on the mattress next to him as they tried to catch their breath. Clint wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her hair.

"I love you." Clint said, breaking the silence. Charlie sat up, holding the blanket up to cover herself and looked at him in surprise. "I know we've only been dating a few weeks but I do. I love you."

"Um—I'm not really sure what to say." Charlie stammered and Clint felt his heart pound.

"You don't have to say anything." Clint sat up and tried to distract her by kissing her.

She pressed a gentle hand to his chest. "Yeah, I do. I married Brian when I was young and just barely graduated high school. It was stupid but I loved him—or at least I thought I did. When we broke up and we moved to New York, I wasn't looking for love o-or a relationship or anything really, except a life for Jeremy. I certainly wasn't looking for a sexy, considerate, handsome, caring, wonderful guy like you to fall in love with."

"You think I'm sexy?" Clint asked and Charlie laughed at him, pushing him playfully.

"That's not the point I was going for but yes." Charlie chuckled.

"What is your point?" Clint asked, his fingers tracing the tattoo on her hip that was usually hidden by her pants.

"My point is I love you too." Charlie admitted and Clint kissed her as he pulled her down on the mattress once again.

Nightblade had watched the couple on their hike and as they entered the house, diverting his eyes only when they had discarded their clothes. He knew his angle to get to Barton. All he had to do was wait. The next morning, Charlie woke up before Clint and went for a walk on the path they were on yesterday. Clint had kept her up most of the night and she was a little sore so she wanted to work her muscles out. She was at the ridge when a voice made her jump.

"Excuse me, miss." Nightblade smiled at her. "I just moved around here and I was wondering if you could show me the way to the main road."

"I'm sorry but I'm here as a guest." Charlie apologized. "I don't know how to get to the main road."

"Is there anybody around here who can help me?" Nightblade asked, fishing for information.

"My boyfriend's house is a few miles down the path." Charlie pulled her phone from her pocket and started to dial Clint's number. It rang several times before Nightblade attacked Charlie, taking her in a choke hold until she dropped her phone and lost consciousness. He tossed her over his shoulder and carried her back to the car he had rented.

"Charlie?" Clint asked sleepily into his phone when it rang. The sound of a struggle made him wake up fully and he was out of bed and dressed a moment later. He tried calling her back but didn't get an answer as he pulled his shoes on. It was still muddy outside and he could see Charlie's footprints and followed them up the path. He found a second set of footprints then signs of a struggle. Charlie's phone lay in the mud. "Charlie!"

**A/N: I will admit that this chapter was super fun to write. To all of the people who read/review/follow/favorite, thank you and I love you! Please leave a review on your way out. I don't bruise easily. :)**

**Dalonega: Clint seems like a take control type of guy, doesn't he? :) I hope you liked their alone time in this chapter. **

**AUAnnie: She will find out about Hawkeye. I promise. :)**

**Jedi and Flowerchild: Thanks so much for your reviews. You guys rock. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

"How does it fit?" Tony asked Jeremy, who was standing in his own suit of Iron Man armor. The weapons weren't functional of course, but Tony was just trying to bribe the boy into making Iron Man his favorite.

"Awesome!" Jeremy shouted gleefully.

"We just have to paint it." Tony smiled at the boy. "What colors do you want?"

"I want it to look like Hawkeye's armor." Jeremy smiled.

Tony sighed in defeat but programmed Jarvis to paint the armor once Jeremy was out of it. The two went to get some lunch while it was being painted. "What's your story kid?"

"What do you mean?" Jeremy asked, his mouth full of grilled cheese.

"Where are you from, what's your family like? That sort of thing." Tony popped a potato chip in his mouth.

"Mom moved us here from Iowa." Jeremy said. "I don't have a lot of family. Just my grandma and my dad. I asked my mom about it but she doesn't want to talk about it."

"Why?" Tony asked.

"I dunno." Jeremy shrugged. "She just doesn't."

"Hmm." Tony grumbled. "You want to go play paintball?"

"Yeah!" Jeremy's mood perked back up when Tony's phone rang. The billionaire answered it and he glanced at Jeremy when he hung up.

"You can be the blue pellets if you want." Tony offered.

"Is everything okay?" Jeremy asked.

"Yep." Tony lied. "Everything is fine."

When Charlie opened her eyes, her arms and legs were strapped to a chair, pinning her down. The man from the woods was watching her. "Who are you?"

"My name is Nightblade." He replied.

"Why am I here?" Charlie asked, trying to stay calm.

"You're here because we want information on the Hawk." Commander Martin entered the room, closing the door behind him.

"I don't know who or what you're talking about." Charlie said quickly. "If you want to bird watch, I'm sure there's parks or something around here."

Martin chuckled. "I see why he likes you. Miss Harrison we're talking about your boyfriend, SHIELD Agent Clint Barton."

Charlie was confused. "What the hell is SHIELD?"

"All in good time, my dear." Martin took Nightblade's katana from him and examined the sharpness of the blade. "Right now we want information on Agent Barton."

"I don't know anything." Charlie lied.

"We shall see." Martin chuckled. "Where did you and Barton meet?"

"I bumped into him on the subway." Charlie lied. If Clint was a SHIELD agent, whatever the hell that was, there was probably a reason he hadn't told her about it yet. These people seemed like bad news so she would do what she could to protect him. "We talked, exchanged numbers and went on a date."

"Where does he live?" Martin asked.

"I don't know." Charlie said. "He always came over."

"Surely you have his address." Martin placed the tip of the katana at the hollow of her throat.

"I'm sorry. I don't." Charlie shrugged, trying to show she wasn't terrified. "Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you anything."

"I had hoped this wouldn't be the case." Martin sighed sadly. He pushed the blade through her flesh, blood dripping from the wound when he removed it. Charlie whimpered at the sudden pain. "Now, what do you know about Agent Barton?"

"Nothing." Charlie said through clenched teeth. "I know nothing."

"That is...unfortunate." Martin said, handing the katana back to Nightblade. "Get what you can from her."

"What if she doesn't give me anything?" Nightblade asked.

"Kill her." Martin closed the door behind him.

"Charlie!" Clint had taken off running, following the footprints in the woods. They disappeared after half a mile and he couldn't tell where they went. He dialed Tony's number, telling him what happened and to watch Jeremy to make sure he was safe. It didn't take long to get to SHIELD headquarters where Fury and Natasha were waiting for him.

"Charlie Harrison has been kidnapped by a man named Nightblade." Fury apparently already had information on him. "The association that he has been hired by seems to have a personal vendetta with you, Agent Barton. Anything you'd like to tell us?"

Clint shrugged, drawing a blank. "I've never heard of Nightblade. Who does he work for?"

"A commander named Martin." Fury replied. "Ring any bells?"

"Ireland." Clint huffed. "There was a human trafficking ring and drug cartel run by this guy. His wife wanted out, came clean about everything. I told her I'd get her out if she gave us all of her information on them. She did and everything got stopped. Martin got away though."

"Any idea why they want Miss Harrison?" Steve asked as he came in, arms crossed over his chest.

"They're trying to get to Barton." Fury said. "What does she know about you?"

"Name and address." Clint replied. "She knows my phone number."

"That's enough to find you if they have the right intel." Natasha sighed. "She's going to give it up during the interrogation."

"You think they're going to interrogate her?" Steve asked.

"It's what I'd do." Natasha replied simply and Clint felt his blood run cold. He knew exactly how Natasha 'interrogated' people.

"I'm not leaving her in the hands of these people." Clint said angrily. "We need to find her."

"And we will." Fury assured him. "Romanoff, Rogers. You leave in ten minutes."

"I'm going with them." Clint said.

"No, you're not." Fury commanded. "If these people want you, then you're staying where they can't get you."

"I don't give a damn what they want." Clint growled. "I'm going after her."

Fury held Clint's gaze for a minute but nodded his consent. "Romanoff will have the coordinates for you. Good luck."

Charlie's screams filled the hall ways of the detention facility. She had cuts down the length of her arms and at her hips. Her face was mostly bruises and her lips were cut open.

"Where is he?" Nightblade asked, heating the blade of his katana over the small flame of the burner he had ordered. "Tell me where he is and this all stops."

"I don't know." Charlie spit blood out of her mouth and licked her swollen lips. She took several quick breaths when Nightblade pressed the blade against her skin. Her flesh melted as she screamed, "I don't know! I don't know!"

Nightblade watched the tears fall down her cheeks and removed the blade, relishing the soft whimpers coming from her throat. He knelt in front of her, placing two fingers under her chin and raising her head so he could look into her eyes. "Why go through all this agony for one man? Wouldn't it be easier to just tell me what I want to know?"

"Go to hell." Charlie spat.

"You're just a cover for him, Charlie." Nightblade told her. "Anything he told you, anything he said he felt for you, it's all lies."

Charlie let out a shaky breath and Nightblade smirked. He had broken her...or so he thought. "I think I preferred the torture."

"Such a shame." Nightblade stood and heated his blade once more. "You're such a pretty girl. I can see why he picked you. Naive, gullible, eager to fall in love but rather stupid."

"You sure love the sound of your own voice, don't you?" Charlie asked him.

Nightblade turned to her with an evil grin on his lips. "Not as much as I love the sound of your screams."

Charlie bit her lower lip so hard she could taste blood before she smelled her skin burning. The katana slashed again, drawing blood from her leg this time and she bit her lip harder, trying to keep the screams from passing her lips but failing.

"Where is he?" Nightblade shouted over her shrieks. "Do you think he'd let you go through this if you meant anything to him?"

"Go to hell!" Charlie growled.

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks to all who read/review/follow/favorite this story. You guys are phenomenal and I adore all of you. **

**Dalonega: Thanks for pointing out the draw weight. It didn't even cross my mind when I wrote that part. You keep me on my toes, dearie. :) **

**Jedi: I will address that in the next few chapters. :) **

**AUAnnie: There was a little bit of Tony/Jeremy time in there especially for you. :) Does that kind of make Charlie a groupie? Lol **


	9. Chapter 9

Natasha didn't speak as she and Clint piloted the jet to the coordinates that Fury had provided them with. Clint knew she wanted to say something and lasted most of the trip without saying anything to her. "What is it, Nat?"

"She's a distraction." Natasha kept her eyes on the sky in front of her. "Relationships give our enemies the opportunity to get at us and gives us a weak spot."

"It's not like that with her." Clint replied. "I'm not Agent Barton with SHIELD. I'm not Hawkeye. I'm just Clint, her boyfriend and I like that."

"I hope for your sake that Martin doesn't kill your girlfriend." Natasha said coldly.

-0-

The compound they arrived at was mostly deserted and Clint found his vantage point, waiting for the guards to make their rounds. When they did, he sent two arrows flying into their respective eye sockets, dropping them. Steve entered the compound first, then Natasha and Clint brought up the rear. The compound was an abandoned warehouse, large and empty except for an old TV set up at the opposite end of it. The three approached it carefully when it flickered to life, revealing Charlie tied to a table by her wrists and ankles.

Nightblade was adjusting the camera angle and stepped into view when he was satisfied. He smiled mockingly and Clint clenched his jaw. "Hello all. I just thought you'd like to know how your dear Charlie is doing. Say hello, sweetheart."

"Bite me." Charlie groaned.

Nightblade chuckled as he strode to stand by her head, rubbing his nose along her jawline. "I do love the smell of fear."

"I'm not afraid of you." Charlie reminded him.

Clint watched as Nightblade ran his hand down her shoulder and breast, resting his hand on her ribcage. "Your little girlfriend is a hard nut to crack, I'll admit. But I think we're almost there. Now, sweetheart," Nightblade made a fist and brought it down hard on her ribs, knocking the wind out of her and breaking several of her ribs. "Tell me where he lives. We have a package to deliver."

Charlie sobbed at the sudden pain and coughed, trying to get her breath back. She gasped, "Drury Lane."

"I knew we could get somewhere." Nightblade smiled evilly and Clint clutched his bow so tightly his knuckles were white. "Anything more specific, darling?"

Charlie choked on her tears. "Yes. His landlord is the muffin man."

Nightblade realized she had made a fool of him and grabbed his katana, shoving it through two of her ribs, eliciting a scream from her. "You're going to die for this. You're going to let yourself die for one man. A part of an organization that you know nothing about?"

"Some things are worth dying for." Charlie coughed up some blood.

"How do you know SHIELD is one of those?" Nightblade growled.

"I don't." Charlie admitted as he twisted the blade in her side. "But I'll die before I let you hurt anybody else."

"As you wish." Nightblade ripped the sword out of her and looked back to the camera. "It looks like you folks have a little under an hour to find her before she dies. Good luck."

He disappeared, leaving a sobbing Charlie on the screen. Natasha was the first to speak. "She's stronger than I thought."

"How do we find her?" Steve asked.

Natasha went to the TV and examined the wires. "There's a wireless receiver here, allowing us to see the video feed. We could back trace the signal and get her location but there's no guarantee that she'll be there."

"She'll be there." Clint said through clenched teeth. "They won't move her again."

-0-

"My mom's in trouble, isn't she?" Jeremy asked Tony when Monday rolled around and he was still at Stark Tower.

"Am I not enough anymore?" Tony asked, his voice full of feigned hurt.

"I didn't mean that." Jeremy blushed, embarrassed.

"She's fine, kiddo." Tony lied. "She's working and asked if you could stay here a little bit longer."

Jeremy turned his attention back to his homework but Tony could see that he was worried about his mom.

"Hey kid. Do you want to help me put the finishing touches on my new suit?"

Jeremy's mood brightened quickly. "Really?"

"Yeah. Come one. Maybe yours is done too."

"What about my homework?" Jeremy asked.

Tony shrugged his concerns away. "Do it later."

-0-

Martin didn't look up from his paperwork when Nightblade entered his office. "Is she dead?"

"She will be soon." Nightblade was wiping the blood from his katana. "Who is our next target?"

"We're going to relocate." Martin dodged the question. "If and when SHIELD gets here, I want to not be."

"What about Barton?" Nightblade asked.

"I have something special planned for him." Martin smiled.

While Nightblade had been busy torturing Charlie, he hadn't realized that making her squirm would slowly loosen the restraints at her wrists and ankles. She was having trouble breathing and was growing weaker but she wasn't going to die in this hell hole. She tugged on her wrists, managing to pull her wrist free but had to sacrifice some of her skin to do so. It was hard to convince herself to sit up but she managed to do so. Untying her ankles, she brought her legs over the side of the table, and felt the dizziness hit her as she stood too quickly.

"Take it slow, Charlie." She told herself. Glancing around the room she found a pile of rags and grabbed one, pressing it to the wound in her side. She was walking so slow that she probably looked like a zombie, groaning softly with each step. She made it to a hall closet and crawled inside, slumping to the floor with her back to the door. She was going to get out of here and get back to Jeremy and having a long discussion with Clint. But first, she just needed a nap and her eyes fluttered closed.

**A/N: Thanks to all of you! If I could send you all cupcakes I would. :) Please feel free to leave a review on your way out. **

**Dalonega: BW needs to be proven wrong every once in a while. **

**Skystar: Those are the important questions to be asking. :)**

**Vampiratess: Thank you for the page break suggestion. I read every review you guys leave and take every requested scene or helpful suggestions (like yours) into consideration when I update. :) **


	10. Chapter 10

"How's it going, Natasha?" Clint asked for the fifth time. He had been watching the clock and now they had a little under a half hour to find Charlie. Natasha glared at him and he returned the look until she spoke.

"I have her location." Natasha clicked a few keys on the laptop she had retrieved from the jet. "She's almost an hour from here."

"We don't have an hour." Steve pointed out. Clint didn't reply and stomped out of the warehouse back to the jet, keying in the new coordinates in the navigation.

"Clint, there's nothing we can do." Natasha said.

He flipped a switch and didn't answer as she sat next to him. The jet rose off the ground and Clint started to fly. Natasha sighed. "This is why we don't get involved with civilians."

"Stop talking about her like she's dead." Clint mumbled.

"She is." Natasha said, unapologetic when Clint growled under his breath. "Even if we get to her today, it's only a matter of time before she's caught by the wrong person and they kill her."

"Are you sure this isn't about something else?" Clint asked.

"Like what?" Natasha asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Like maybe you're jealous that I'm involved with a woman and it isn't you." Clint replied and Natasha stiffened in her seat.

"You're running out of time." Natasha pointed to the clock.

-0-

_This must be what it feels like to die._ Charlie thought to herself. She had seen death when she had been a surgeon. She had people die on her table before and it always stuck with her. But now she was the one who was dying. She thought about Jeremy and prayed that he would be okay. He'd go to Emma and she'd take good care of him, the way she had with Charlie.

She could hear footsteps in the hallway outside of the closet but she didn't have the strength to move or even open her eyes. The sounds of punches being thrown made her hopeful it was a rescue but she wasn't overly confident that it was.

"_Barton, you find anything?" _A male voice asked. She didn't hear a reply but if Clint was here, he was going to find her. She forced her eyes open and let them adjust to the darkness around her. When she was able to make out the dark shapes, she saw two buckets stacked on top of one another about a foot away from her. Mustering her last bit of non existent strength, she managed to crawl over to the buckets and send them clattering to the floor with a loud clang before collapsing to the floor herself.

The door opened a moment later and flooded the closet with light. _"I found her. I'll meet you at the jet."_

"Ma'am, my name is Captain Rogers." He said as he knelt next to her, picking her up. The way he held her, his shield was able to protect her head and body. "You're going to be just fine."

Steve got Charlie to the jet before Clint and Natasha got back, laying her on the floor and placing a spare parachute behind her head, trying to provide a little cushion. Clint came running to the jet a few minutes later and knelt next to Charlie, trying to assess the damage to her. "Charlie, baby. Come on. Open those big brown eyes for me."

Charlie groaned and Clint sighed in relief. At least she was alive.

"You have to fly, Clint." Natasha reminded him.

Clint pressed a kiss to Charlie's forehead. "I'm going to get you home. Steve, don't let her die."

Steve nodded in acknowledgement and watched Charlie as Clint took them back to the SHIELD base. Steve tried to pick Charlie up to carry her inside as soon as the plane landed but Clint brushed him away, picking up the unconscious brunette himself. He whispered assurances into her hair, ignoring the feeling of blood on his arms as he carried her to the hospital.

"What happened to her?" A doctor asked Clint as he laid her on a gurney.

"She was 'interrogated'." Clint replied.

"We need to get her up to an O.R." The doctor said, assessing her injuries as a nurse pushed the gurney. Clint tried to follow but was stopped at the operating room door. "You can't go back here. Does she have any family?"

"Yeah. She has a son." Clint watched Charlie being pushed from his line of vision and he didn't like it.

"Get him here. I only saw the cosmetic part of her injuries but if it's that bad on the inside, he needs to say his goodbyes." The doctor advised then disappeared.

Clint ran a hand through his hair before punching the wall angrily. He didn't want to have to tell Jeremy what happened but if Charlie—he wasn't going to think it. Jeremy was with Tony and he would stay there until something happened one way or the other.

-0-

Once the doctors got Charlie stabilized and stitched up, she was taken to a room until she woke up. Clint was waiting by her bedside for hours, watching the IV drip and listening to the now steady breaths Charlie was taking.

"Can I talk to you? Privately?" Natasha asked, interrupting the monologue in his head.

"Later." Clint replied.

"Now." Natasha insisted. Clint knew she wouldn't let it go so he pressed a kiss to Charlie's head and followed Natasha into the hallway.

"What?" Clint asked, ready for the spiel.

"I just wanted to let you know that when Fury asks for my report, I am going to advise that you terminate your relationship with Miss Harrison." Natasha said, crossing her arms over her chest. "This isn't a decision fueled by jealousy, as you accused me of earlier."

"Then what is it, Nat?" Clint asked angrily.

"You care for her and her son." Natasha said gently. "This was a perfect example as to why ties are a bad thing. Not only for you but also for them. Jeremy could have lost his mother today, a person he loves and needs dearly."

"I love her too, Natasha." Clint said.

"And that makes her a target." Natasha replied. "You can't protect her from everything. If you truly love her, you'll leave her."

Natasha turned and left Clint to his thoughts. He went back into Charlie's room and reclaimed his chair next to her bed.

"Where am I?" Charlie asked. Clint had been deep in thought and hadn't realized she'd woken up.

"You're at a SHIELD hospital." Clint smiled at her, helping her sit up. "Take it easy. You were hurt pretty badly."

"What happened?" Charlie asked, groaning at the pain in her side.

"Let's just say you're stronger than Tash thought." Clint left the statement vague. "Can you tell me what that guy said to you?"

"He told me that you're a super secret spy." Charlie ran through Nightblade's insults in her mind. "He said that I was just a cover for you and that you wouldn't save me. Obviously he was wrong."

"Not about everything." Clint sighed. "Listen, Char, I need to talk to you."

"Sounds serious." Charlie offered a small smile to lighten the newly tense mood in the room. "What's wrong?"

"I can't do this." Clint said, making eye contact with her and the smile faded from her lips.

"This what?" Charlie asked even though she knew what he was talking about.

"He was right." Clint said. "You were a cover and it backfired on me. I'm sorry you got hurt."

"Excuse me?" Charlie's words were soft and confused. "Nothing was real? Nothing at all?"

"No." Clint lied, standing up to leave. "We're done."

"Get back here." Charlie snapped as Clint turned his back on her. "I think I'm owed a better explanation than that. Look me in the eye and tell me that I mean nothing to you. That Jeremy means nothing to you."

"You were just a cover." Clint lied, ignoring the lump in his throat. He turned around to face her. "You and Jeremy are nothing to me. I was only so invested so it would be convincing."

Charlie ignored the stinging in her eyes and cleared her throat. "Fine. Goodbye, Agent Barton."

"Good bye." Clint said and he left her alone.

**A/N: Just for the record, watching Jeremy Renner movies while attempting to write fanfiction is not productive AT ALL. I mean, sweet Tardis of Gallifrey that man's arms are just...wow. Anyway, back on point. Thanks to all who read/follow/favorite/review this story. I love all of you and please leave a review on your way out. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

"So, if you splice this wire with this one," Tony demonstrated the action for Jeremy. "You get full use of your thrusters and lasers."

Jeremy put on his safety glasses and mimicked Tony's action exactly and his thruster powered up in his hand. "I did it."

"Very good." Tony smiled at him. This kid was smarter than he looks. "What do we do to stabilize the cooling system?"

"Make sure that nothing is cross wired anywhere." Jeremy answered quickly. Tony had showed him how to use most of the tools in his workshop and with Charlie in the hospital, Jeremy spent most of his time working on his own suit of armor.

"Your mom's coming home today." Tony reminded him. "You excited to see her?"

"Yeah." Jeremy said simply. Tony knew there was more to that statement though.

"Come on, champ." Tony urged. "Finish your thoughts or your brain gets backed up and it's no good to you."

"Mom said she's not seeing Clint anymore and that I can't hang out with him." Jeremy sighed. "She didn't tell me anything else."

"Is that bad?" Tony asked, carefully moving Jeremy's soldering torch so it wouldn't cause a fire.

"I liked him." Jeremy replied. "How do I make sure the system always has a backup cooling system?"

"Backup cooling system?" Tony asked. He hadn't thought of that. "What for?"

"In case the other one fails." Jeremy said, giving Tony a 'duh' look.

"Usually when I'm involved in something, it doesn't fail." Tony quipped.

"Miss Pepper says that there's a 12% chance that it will." Jeremy didn't know what it meant but Tony did and chuckled to himself.

"Kid, if you want backup cooling systems, then come on." Tony showed him to his drawing board. "Let's design them."

-0-

Charlie was happy to be home after a week in the hospital. Emma had wanted to bring her home and help her but Charlie insisted she was fine. After Clint broke up with her, Charlie allowed herself a few minutes of self wallowing but then decided not to dwell on it anymore. She wanted to take a shower but first she had something she needed to do. Going into her room, she picked up the pink stuffed giraffe he had won for her at the carnival and took it to the dumpster, throwing it in without a second thought. She took her shower and then went to pick up Jeremy from Stark Tower.

"Thanks so much for watching him." Charlie said to Tony. He had been a huge help and a good friend to her over the last several weeks, especially this last one, and she trusted him with Jeremy.

"Mom, I'm almost done with my suit. Can we stay a few more minutes?" Jeremy asked, his safety glasses perched on the tip of his nose.

"Let him stay." Tony shrugged off any arguments Charlie had otherwise. "Pepper's ordering in some dinner so stick around."

"We don't want to impose." Charlie countered.

"Please." Tony scoffed. "The girl who ruffled Bird Brain's feathers and my new prodigy? I have half a mind to move you two into Stark Tower."

Charlie laughed because she thought he was kidding. "How has he been?"

"He's a little bummed that Katniss isn't going to be around anymore." Tony informed her. "What's with that, anyway?"

"Just didn't work out." Charlie shrugged. Tony gave her a look and she sighed. "He said that we were a cover for him and that our relationship was over."

"That's bullshit!" Tony said loudly. Charlie wacked his chest with her hand and looked pointedly at Jeremy. "Sorry."

"It's fine, Tony." Charlie assured him. "I'm not going to waste my time on a man who doesn't want to be around me or my son."

"Would you have stayed with him?" Tony asked. "After you found out his big, bad secret and your...'ordeal', would you have stuck it out with him?"

Charlie shrugged. "I don't know. He took my choice from me and didn't let me think about it."

"But you cared about him?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. Jeremy's dad and I always went back and forth in our relationship. When Jeremy and I moved here, I thought it was a chance to start over." Charlie said, watching Jeremy work. "I found someone who was thoughtful, made me smile, and was good to Jeremy but I guess it wasn't meant to be."

"What if you're wrong?" Tony glanced at her.

"It doesn't matter." Charlie replied.

"Sure it does." Tony countered.

"No, it doesn't." Charlie said, harsher than she intended. "He left and I'm not going to be one of those women who whine and wait for a man to come validate her life. Jeremy is the most important person in my life and that's how it should be."

Tony raised his hands in defeat as Pepper brought up dinner. Jeremy didn't want to stop working to eat but he did when Charlie took away the tools he was working with.

"Tony, I was wondering if I could ask a favor." Charlie asked.

"Ask away." Tony replied.

"Jeremy and I talked about it and I'm going to take one of the surgical residencies at the hospital. Would it be all right if Jeremy hung out here for a few hours after school?" Charlie handed Jeremy a napkin to wipe the food off his chin.

"Why don't you just move in?" Tony asked and Charlie choked on her soda. "We have a whole floor designated for apartments. Squirt can come use the workshop and you don't have to worry about him while you're working."

"You can't be serious." Charlie said.

"As a heart attack." Tony leaned back in his chair. "Besides, having a doc around could be helpful. What do you say, Jer? You wanna live in Stark Tower?"

"Yeah!" Jeremy said excitedly. "Mom, please?"

"Yeah. Mom, please?" Tony matched Jeremy's tone.

"Um, sure. I guess?" Charlie's voice wavered.

"Fantastic. I'll have your stuff moved over tomorrow." Tony said and moved on to the next topic.

-0-

Clint spent most of the week Charlie was in the hospital at his house upstate, waiting until it blew over to come back. He sat in the bed, which was still unmade from their night together and rested his head in his hands. What he had said to her was harsh but he needed her to believe it, needed Martin and his henchmen to believe it. When he finally returned to his apartment a week later, he paused to look at Charlie's door.

"We moved." Jeremy's voice caused him to turn around.

"What are you doing here by yourself?" Clint asked, clearing his throat. "Where's your mom?"

"She's at work. She wanted me to come here and pick up our mail." Jeremy said, holding up the stack of letters in his hand.

"How's she doing? Is she feeling better?" Clint tried to be indifferent with his questions.

"She's home." Jeremy replied, toying with the envelopes in his hand. "She won't tell me what you said to her, but if you were going to hurt her then you should have just left her alone."

"It wasn't my intention to hurt her, Jer." Clint tried to say but Jeremy interrupted by shoving something into Clint's hands. It was the autograph book. Clint tried to hand it back to him but Jeremy wouldn't take it. "It was a gift. You don't have to give it back."

"I don't want it." Jeremy told him and turned to walk away. He turned back to face Clint a moment later. "My mom puts everybody else in front of her own happiness; she gave up her dream job when I got sick so she could stay with me. I thought maybe it'd be different with you and she'd have a chance to pick what she really wants. But you're worse than my dad! At least he actually loved her."

Jeremy ran down the hall and wiped his nose on his sleeve, stubbornly ignoring the tears running down his cheeks. Clint entered his own apartment and slammed the door behind him, punching it for good measure.

**A/N: Thanks to everybody who makes this story a success. The follow/favoriting/reviewing is what keeps me motivated to continue this story and I love all of you! Please leave a review on your way out. **

**Normally, I answer each review separately but most of them were very similar so I will say thank you so much for leaving the reviews. **


	12. Chapter 12

"Hey Bird Brain." Tony's voice made Clint stiffen. "Nice place you got here."

"How did you get in?" Clint asked, closing the door behind him and placing the plastic bags in his hand on the counter.

"Please." Tony chuckled.

"What are you doing here?" Clint put away the things he bought.

"Just wanted to take the time to hear your side of the story." Tony stood and moved to lean on the counter, waiting for Clint to start talking. "First you're hiding her from me and then she's dumped. A bit odd, if I do say so."

"Just didn't work out." Clint huffed.

"See, I find that hard to believe." Tony countered.

"I hate to say this Tony but it's not really any of your business." Clint told him, not sorry at all.

"Just tell me why you changed your mind." Tony prodded his side with a finger.

Clint sighed before he answered. "Natasha gave me some advice and I took it."

Tony blinked once then started laughing. "Seriously?"

"What?" Clint asked, clearly not getting the joke.

"You let emotionally constipated Spidey decide your relationship?" Tony laughed harder. "This is too easy."

"It doesn't matter now." Clint said. "We're done. Neither one of them like me anymore so it doesn't matter."

"Charlie actually isn't that mad." Tony offered.

"She's not?" Clint furrowed his eyebrows.

"Nope. But that could be because of her date with that hotshot doctor of hers." Tony taunted, carefully gauging Clint's reaction.

"What doctor?" Clint wanted to know but didn't at the same time.

"Some pediatric surgeon at her hospital." Tony added to his lie. "They've already been out on a couple of dates."

"How would you know that?"

"She's living at Stark Tower." Tony replied.

"That's none of my business." Clint sounded like he was convincing himself.

"Whatever you say, Hawk." Tony left, chuckling to himself. "Oh, by the way, I'm throwing a little party this weekend. See you there."

-0-

Jeremy had given Charlie a package of Avengers scrub caps, one for each of the members of the team and she loved them. Tony insisted that the Iron Man cap was good luck while Jeremy giggled at him.

"I'm off to work, Jer." Charlie found him in the workshop again and kissed the top of his head. "Bedtime is at 9, remember."

"But mom..." Jeremy whined.

"9." Charlie remained firm.

"But we're almost done with the new suit." Jeremy begged. "We have to finish."

"You can finish this weekend." Charlie promised. "Be in bed on time."

"Okay." Jeremy frowned but called an 'I love you' after his mother when she left.

It was different being back in the surgical program but Charlie loved it. It had always been easy for her and the patients were usually great.

"I didn't know you were here already." A voice made her jump.

"Geez, Sam. Give me a heart attack." Charlie teased as she checked a patient's vitals.

"Not my intention." Sam smiled widely at her. "There's a bunch of us going out this weekend. You wanna come?"

"I can't." Charlie shrugged. "I have to go to a...thing for a friend."

"Sure." Sam feigned hurt as they walked out of the patient's room. "We'll just pretend it's not because you hate us."

"I love all of you." Charlie promised. "I really do have a thing. You wanna be my date? Fancy dress, great liquor and food."

"Count me in." Sam kissed her cheek. "I have to go check on my kids. See you later?"

"You know it." Charlie assured him.

"Charlie, there's a guy here with a knife in his head." Sarah handed her the chart. "If you want in, you better go."

"Thanks, Sarah." Charlie walked quickly to the patient's room. Sarah hadn't been kidding. There was a knife embedded in his head but the crazy part was that he was talking. "Mr. Niles?"

"That's me." He replied. "But you can call me Nick."

"Well, Nick, it looks like we have a surgery scheduled." Charlie put on some gloves and examined his wound. "Do you have any family that we should alert?"

"Nope. Just me." Nick said with a friendly tone.

"Okay." Charlie finished her inspection. "Well, we have some forms for you to sign but then we'll prep you and take you down."

"Have you ever done this before?" Nick asked.

"To be honest, no. I've never pulled a knife out of a person's head." Charlie admitted. "But I have a lucky charm so no worries."

"What's your lucky charm?" Nick watched as she pulled a scrub cap from her pocket. It was still wrapped in the cellophane covering since she hadn't opened it yet. "Who's on it?"

"Hawkeye." Charlie smiled. "I'll see you in a few."

-0-

"You're stronger than I thought." Sarah admitted over lunch. Nick's surgery had gone better than planned. Charlie had pulled the knife from his head on the first try.

"Don't make me angry." Charlie teased, picking at her salad.

"Hello ladies." Sam sat his tray next to them and Charlie stole a french fry from his plate. "What are we talking about?"

"She-hulk over here pulled a knife out of a guy's skull and I don't think she even broke a sweat." Sarah took a fry from Sam too.

"Lucky you." Sam said. "Most of my peds kids are doing great but I'd kill to see the inside of an OR again."

"I'm sure you will soon." Charlie said. "Don't forget about the party Friday. I'll text you the address and meet you there."

-0-

The dress was ridiculous. Pepper had insisted that it would be perfect for her but she wasn't sure. It was a deep purple with practically no back and a plunging neckline.

"You look pretty." Jeremy said. He had a headset with a microphone on.

"What's that for?" Charlie asked.

"Me and Tony are playing spies." Jeremy replied with a smile.

"Tony's going to be at the party tonight." Charlie reminded him. "What's it really for?"

"Nothing." Jeremy giggled mischievously.

"Right. Remember, I see all." Charlie said. "Behave for Jarvis and go to bed on time."

Charlie had been hesitant to leave Jeremy with Jarvis but she had to admit the artificial intelligence was capable for a computer. She fastened the buckle of her high heel and fixed her hair again before leaving.

"Iron Man, this is Nighthawk." Jeremy said into his headset. "Hawkgirl has left the building and is on her way to your location."

"Copy that, Nighthawk." Tony said into his own earpiece. He had filled Jeremy in on what Clint said and Jeremy was back on the 'Clint train' in no time. The two devised a plan to get them back together and it all revolved around the party.

**A/N: You guys are all amazing and I love every single one of you. Thanks, as always, for reading/following/favoriting/reviewing. Please leave a review on your way out. **

**Jeremy and Tony are going to cause all sorts of fun next chapter so stay tuned for your favorite BROTP. :) **

**Plus a little side poll: do you guys think Charlie should forgive Clint easily or shall it take a while? It is up to you. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

Charlie took a cab to the party at a hotel Tony just bought and found Sam waiting outside for her. "You clean up pretty good, Sam."

"Thanks." Sam said, taking in her appearance. "You look great. How did you get an invite to Tony Stark's party?"

"He's a friend." Charlie smiled up at him as he tucked her arm through his and escorted her inside. It was the usual over the top type of party Tony was famous for. Charlie took a flute of champagne from one of the waiters as they passed her and sipped from it.

"Charlie!" Pepper called and smiled at her dress. "I told you that would look fantastic on you, didn't I?"

"So you're the one I have to thank for this?" Sam asked Pepper with a chuckle. "I am forever in your debt, Pepper."

"I have to go find Tony." Pepper said. "He disappeared a little while ago and I can't find him anywhere."

"Do you want a drink?" Sam asked. Charlie held up her glass of champagne in response. "Right. I'll be right back then."

He pressed a kiss to her cheek and Charlie checked her phone to make sure Jeremy hadn't called her. Her phone was notification free and Sam was back in no time. The pair were laughing and talking most of the night and Charlie hadn't noticed that Clint had arrived as well.

-0-

Clint's eyes instantly swept the floor for any potential threats when he entered the party. It didn't take long for him to find Charlie and when he did, he was shocked. The way her dress draped over her frame and left little to the imagination made him want to carry her out of here and keep her to himself. What made the dress more of a torment was the fact that she was here with a date apparently. Clearing his throat, he made his way to the bar and ordered a whiskey, downing it quickly and ordering another.

"Great party, huh?" Tony asked, leaning against the bar.

"Sure." Clint nodded once, downing another drink.

"Charlie seems like she's having a pretty good time." Tony said as Charlie kissed Sam on his lips. "Pepper kept going on about that dress and I see what the fuss was about."

"You're responsible for that?" Clint asked.

"Technically it was Pepper." Tony corrected. "I would suggest you go talk to Charlie, clear the air so to speak, but it would probably be hard for her to talk while she's attached to her boy toy's face."

Clint drank two more drinks before heading over to Charlie.

"Nighthawk, we have movement." Tony said into his comm.

"Good. Are they talking?" Jeremy replied.

"They're—kind of talking." Tony said, watching Clint approach Charlie.

-0-

"Hey, Char." Clint said and Charlie stiffened before she turned with a smile on her face.

"Hi, Clint. How have you been?" Charlie asked awkwardly.

"I've been working." Clint replied with a friendly tone while he glared at Sam. "Who's this?"

"This is Sam. We work together." Charlie introduced them. "Sam, this is Clint."

"It's nice to meet you." Sam extended his hand and Clint squeezed it a little too tightly.

"I'm sure it is." Clint smiled sarcastically. "Listen, Charlie, can I talk to you?"

"Can it wait until later?" Charlie asked. "I'm kind of on a date."

"Yeah. That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Clint lowered his voice. "Please?"

"I don't think right now is the best time." Charlie matched his tone.

"Listen buddy." Sam stepped between the two, shielding Charlie with his body. "She said she can't talk right now. Why don't you step back and leave her alone?"

Clint chuckled and then threw a punch, his fist landing square on Sam's jaw and knocking him to the ground. Tony was laughing hysterically across the room as Charlie grabbed Clint's arm and dragged him upstairs. She found an empty supply closet and shoved Clint inside and closed the door behind her. "What the actual hell, Clint? You're assaulting people now?"

"I'm a spy." Clint said and Charlie could smell the alcohol on his breath. "It's my job to assault people."

"Not my date." Charlie snapped. "What was going through your mind?"

"I don't know." Clint answered, running a hand through his hair.

"You can't just attack my dates. You're not my boyfriend anymore, remember?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, I remember." Clint said, smacking the door with his hand. "But I can't just go around telling people I'm a spy."

"That's not what I'm mad about." Charlie replied.

"Then what, Charlie?" Clint asked. "Why are you mad?"

"You lied to me." Charlie said, pushing her hair off her shoulders.

"I already told you that I couldn't tell you I'm an agent." Clint countered.

"You lied when you said you didn't care about me or Jeremy." Charlie said and Clint's head snapped up in surprise. "I'm a mom, Clint. I know when I'm being lied to."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Clint asked.

Charlie sighed. "The way you did it was kind of harsh and I have to keep Jeremy safe. I care about you but what if we're together for a long time and then one day you don't come back? I think that would hurt Jeremy more than breaking it off now."

Clint had been moving closer in the already cramped space while Charlie was talking and now he was brushing her hair behind her shoulders, letting his hand linger on her neck.

"This is a bad idea." Charlie said softly as his lips got closer to hers. "I have a boyfriend."

"Then stop me." Clint said, his breath mingling with hers. Their noses bumped and their eyes closed when Charlie placed one hand against his chest, fingering the lapel of his jacket. His lips crashed against hers and she clutched the fabric of his coat, pulling him closer to her. Their lips were moving together passionately and when his tongue danced against hers, she moaned softly. Clint pressed her against the wall, wrapping his arms around her waist when she pulled away.

"I can't do this." Charlie said, trying to catch her breath. "I have to give me and Sam a chance. I'm sorry."

"Don't go." Clint didn't release his hold on her waist and nibbled on her ear. "Let me convince you that you should dump him."

"I have to go." Charlie released his coat and straightened it before leaving him alone and rejoining the party.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked when she found him again. Charlie put her arms around his neck and kissed him roughly. He was surprised but returned the kiss eagerly. "I'll take that as a yes."

"We should go." Charlie said and glanced over her shoulder at Clint as he descended the stairs. "It's getting late."

"Nighthawk, we have a problem." Tony said into his comm.

"What's wrong, Iron Man?" Jeremy asked.

"Your mom's leaving. Do some recon when she gets home and report in the morning."

"Copy that, Iron Man." Jeremy said. "Over and out."

**A/N: Not as much Tonery as I wanted in this chapter so I apologize for that but there will be more of their shenanigans, I promise. Thanks to all of you who read/follow/favorite/review this story and please feel free to leave a review on your way out. **

**AUAnnie: I will definitely have to do that because there will be another steamy scene later. **

**Princess: I kind of stole your suggestion but thank you for giving it to me. :)**

**Carly,Jedi, and skystar: You guys have decided the poll and thank you for the reviews. :)**

**Demigod: thanks for your review, doll. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

"Everybody, I just wanted to let you know that we have a new chief of surgery." Dr. Jones, the head board member introduced him to the other surgeons. Charlie felt the blood drain from her face when she saw him. It was Nightblade. "This is Dr. Nicholas Blaine."

"I look forward to working with all of you. I've heard good things from this staff." Nick said, smiling at Charlie.

"You okay?" Sam whispered to Charlie, nudging her with his elbow.

Charlie gulped but offered a fake smile and nodded. "Yeah. I've got rounds and I'll see you later."

"Dr. Harrison." Nick called after her and fell into step beside her. "I just wanted to say that I truly am honored to be working with you."

"Go to hell." Charlie replied. "Why are you here?"

"I want to help people." Nick smirked.

"Stay away from me." Charlie glared at him as she checked the surgical board. There was a multiple transplant but she wasn't assigned to it. Nick saw her expression fall and erased a name off the board, replacing it with hers. "What are you doing?"

"I'd like to be your friend, Charlie." Nick put the cap back on the marker. "Just offer me a little friendship in return."

"I have a boyfriend, thanks." Charlie quipped.

"Trust me, I know." Nick chuckled. "Commander Martin and I were very sad to have heard about Barton dumping you like yesterday's garbage."

"Do you have a point?" Charlie asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." Nick winked at her as he walked away from her.

-0-

Charlie groaned when she got Clint's voicemail. "Clint, I need to talk to you. I'm about to go into surgery but please call me back when you get a chance."

She tossed her phone back into her purse and tucked her hair under her scrub cab as she prepped for surgery. Clint rolled over in bed and blindly felt for his phone, squinting as he looked at the screen. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he read her text before listening to her voicemail. He dialed her number back, not surprised when it went to voicemail. Dressing quickly, Clint headed to her hospital to talk to her.

"Hey, Sarah." Clint smiled at the nurse. "Is Charlie around? She wanted to talk to me."

"She's in surgery." Sarah replied, less than happy to see him. "I'll have her call you when she's done."

"Do you have an idea of when that'll be?" Clint asked but Sarah turned back to her paperwork. He took that as a no. He wandered the halls for a little while until he saw Charlie walk past him, a Captain America scrub cap on her head. "Charlie!"

She spun around, pulling the scrub cap off as she did so. "Hey. I have five minutes."

Charlie grabbed his hand and pulled him to one of the on call rooms, making sure it was empty. "Look, this is probably weird."

"No, it's not." Clint said, hopefulness at the edge of his mind. "What's up?"

"The guy who kidnapped me is here." Charlie told him and he immediately went into agent mode.

"Where?"

"He's the new chief of surgery." Charlie replied.

"Why is he here? Did he hurt you?" Clint asked, his eyes running the length of her body.

"No. He said-he said he wanted to be my friend." Charlie was suspicious and reasonably so. "I just figured you should know."

"Thanks. I'll handle it." Clint promised. "Maybe you should get out of here, just in case."

"I can't. This is my job." Charlie protested.

"Keeping people safe is my job." Clint countered.

"I thought your job was assaulting people." Charlie teased.

"Sometimes I pull a double." Clint replied, making Charlie laugh. "I'm sorry about the other night."

"It's okay." Charlie said. "I should get back to work."

"Oh. Yeah." Clint moved out of the way so she could leave. He stopped her as she passed him and whispered in her ear. "You were killer in that dress, by the way."

Charlie blushed and excused herself, bumping into Sarah as she tried to escape. Sarah saw Clint exit the on call room and gave Charlie a look. "Really, Char?"

"We were just talking." Charlie insisted, checking a chart.

"Mm-hmm." Sarah mumbled. "I've heard that before. He dumped you and you're dating possibly the hottest surgeon in this dump. You're going to throw that away for Clint?"

"You said Clint was—what was the word? Lickable?" Charlie reminded her.

"That was before he broke your heart." Sarah said.

"He didn't break my heart." Charlie sighed. "It just didn't work out."

"He's bad news." Sarah warned.

A few days ago, Charlie would have agreed but she wasn't sure anymore.

-0-

Clint did a sweep of the hospital but he couldn't find Nightblade so he planted a few bugs in his 'office' and left. He called Natasha to help him with surveillance; she handled the inside and he found a vantage point outside. "You have sights on him, Nat?"

"Negative." Natasha's voice came over the comm.

"What about her?" Clint asked.

"She's with her friends." Natasha replied. She was sitting in the cafeteria, watching Charlie, Sam, and Sarah as they ate lunch. Charlie's eyes drifted to Natasha and recognized her.

"How's your shoulder?" Charlie asked, walking over to Natasha.

"Much better. Thanks." Natasha smiled at her but dropped it as soon as Charlie went back to her friends. Watching Charlie with Sam, Natasha could see that she didn't have any real feelings for him. She kept checking her phone, looking disappointed when she didn't have any texts or calls. "Barton, call her."

"Why?" Clint asked, confusion in his voice.

"Just do it." Natasha commanded and a moment later Charlie was looking at her phone then excusing herself from her friends. She found a semi private corner and answered the phone. She was smiling and her face brightened visibly. Natasha could hear both ends of the conversation.

"Char, could we meet up for dinner? Just to talk?" Clint asked.

"I'm working 18 hour shifts the rest of the week and Jeremy's got a play." Charlie said. "Well, he will if I can get him out of Tony's workshop."

"Likes to work with his hands?" Clint chuckled. "I knew that kid was smart."

"He misses you." Charlie said softly.

"Yeah." Clint sighed. "I miss you guys too."

Sam had started over to Charlie and she mouthed that she'd follow him in a minute. "Clint, I have to go. Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Nah." Clint replied. "Go save some lives, Dr. Harrison."

"Don't get yourself killed, Agent Barton." Charlie smiled and hung up her phone.

-0-

Tony and Jeremy were brainstorming in the workshop. "Okay, so the party didn't work exactly like I planned."

"You bought a hotel just to get my mom back with Clint?" Jeremy was a little hung up on that fact.

"I've done more for less." Tony shrugged. "This plan is not working out. We need a new one."

"What else can we do?" Jeremy asked, spinning in his chair.

"How opposed are you to tormenting Sam?" Tony asked.

Jeremy shrugged. "I haven't met him yet."

"So?" Tony wanted to know.

"How can I torment him if I don't know what bothers him?" Jeremy giggled and Tony chuckled. Tony turned his attention back to the costume for Jeremy's play. They were doing an "Avengers Appreciation Gala" at his school and Jeremy had volunteered for Hawkeye. The pair had designed the costume and Tony was surprisingly good at sewing.

"Okay, champ." Tony clapped his hands and handed Jeremy his costume. "Let's see what this does for you."

Jeremy jumped off his chair and changed into his costume quickly, posing with the bow when Tony turned back around to examine his work.

"This is possibly my best costume work ever." Tony bragged. "You're gonna kill it, kid."

"You think so?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm never wrong." Tony smiled at the boy. "Get changed and we can get some food. I'm starving."

"Can you show me the designs for your arc reactor then?" Jeremy had been pestering him to see those plans for weeks.

"Sure."

**A/N: I love Tonery, I really do. And if Charlie seems a little contradictory in this chapter, please remember she is in love with Clint. She's only with Sam to keep Jeremy from getting hurt. As always, thank you all so much for reading/reviewing/following/favoriting. Please feel free to leave a review on your way out. Also, I have a Loki/OC story up in the _Thor_ section and if you have a moment, would you please read and review that one? I'll give you cupcakes if you do. :)**

**AUAnnie: You are so very welcome. This is what I do to in my free time at night and you guys are the ones who keep me inspired to write. **

**Vampiratess and Dalonega: You guys are awesome and I'm glad you like that she didn't immediately go back to him. Even if those arms make a very compelling argument to do so. ;)**

**Assantra (guest): We will definitely see more of them. I just didn't want to rush it. :)**


	15. Chapter 15

Natasha followed Charlie almost everywhere she went and never failed to notice the smile she got when Clint texted her or called her. It didn't happen often which is why it stood out. Despite her relationship with Sam, Charlie seemed to still be deeply in love with Clint. Natasha watched as Charlie pulled Sam aside to talk to him.

"I thought I could do this but I can't." Charlie said apologetically.

"Does this have anything to do with the guy who punched me?" Sam asked.

"A little." Charlie admitted. "You're too nice to lead on and I can't do this to you. I'm sorry."

"It's all right." Sam smiled at her and kissed her cheek softly. "I'll see you around."

"Bye." Charlie said, watching him walk away.

"Dr. Harrison, I'd like a word." Natasha's voice made her jump and Charlie turned to face her.

"Miss...Romanoff?" Charlie asked, trying to remember her name.

"It's Agent Romanoff, actually." Natasha corrected. "I'd like to speak to you about Agent Barton."

"Um, I'd love to discuss my ex with a complete stranger but I have to go do something else in a completely different wing of the hospital." Charlie smiled sarcastically and started to walk away. Natasha smirked and followed her silently. Charlie hadn't realized that Natasha followed her until they were in an elevator by themselves. "I just wanted to let you know, this is more than a little creepy."

Natasha hit the emergency stop button, trapping them both in the elevator. "Agent Barton is my partner and it was under my advisement that he terminated your relationship."

"Do people at whatever super secret spy base you guys work at have absolutely no boundaries?" Charlie snapped, not believing what she was hearing.

"Barton is my partner. It's my job to keep him alive and it's his job to keep me alive." Natasha said evenly. "Being in a relationship gives an agent a pressure point and we can't afford that."

"So you've never been in love?" Charlie asked.

"Love is for children." Natasha said quickly.

"You're wrong." Charlie said, releasing the emergency stop and starting the elevator again. "Love is a powerful motivator. I love my son more than anything else in the world and he has given me strength I never could have guessed existed. I have loved and been loved and it's one of the greatest feelings in the world. If you think love is for children, then I feel sorry for you Agent Romanoff because you're missing out on one of life's best experiences."

The elevator doors opened and Charlie stepped off, heading to check her patient charts. She had an appendectomy to do on a little girl in an hour. The girl had hemophilia which complicated the normally easy surgery. They would monitor her throughout the surgery and hope for the best. Normally, a more senior surgeon would take the procedure but Nick was still trying to buy her loyalty so it was given to her. She checked her phone before she went to scrub up for surgery.

-0-

When Charlie didn't show up at Stark Tower on time, Jeremy didn't worry. She was occasionally late but when several hours passed, he called Clint. "Is my mom with you?"

"No." Clint was still keeping tabs on the hospital. "Why?"

"She was supposed to be off four hours ago." Jeremy double checked the time.

"She probably got pulled into a surgery. I'll check on her." Clint assured him. "Don't worry."

"Thanks." Jeremy hung up and Tony tried to distract Jeremy, asking for his help building the soapbox race car in his workshop.

Clint climbed down from his perch and searched the hospital for Charlie, checking every room until he found her in a supply closet. She looked up at him and he took in her red eyes and splotchy cheeks, immediately worried that she was hurt. "Are you okay?"

Charlie sniffled and shook her head. Clint couldn't see any injuries so he closed the door and sat down next to her. "What happened?"

"This little girl came in for an appendectomy. She was Jeremy's age." Charlie mumbled, her voice thick with tears. Clint could sense where this story was going and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "She had hemophilia and she started to bleed out. She's dead."

Charlie started to cry again and Clint pulled her closer, stroking her hair as she sobbed into his chest. This wasn't the first time she had lost a patient but it hurt each time she did, especially children.

"It wasn't your fault." Clint said gently. He lifted her face and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. He grabbed a hospital gown from one of the nearby shelves and handed it to Charlie so she could blow her nose. "Come on. We should get you home. Jeremy's worried about you."

Clint helped her up and gave her a hug. Charlie gave him a small smile before taking several deep breaths to steady herself. "Would you want to stay for dinner?"

"That depends." Clint said suspiciously.

"On what?" Charlie asked.

"Are you cooking?" Clint teased. Charlie chuckled despite her horrible afternoon and shoved him playfully.

"No. I was going to pick up some shawarma. I've never heard of it but Tony said it's awesome." Charlie said as they exited the closet.

"It's not bad." Clint conceded. He waited while she got her bag and phone then they shared a cab to get their shawarma and back to Stark Tower.

"Mom!" Jeremy shouted, running and giving her a hug. "I was worried."

"Just a long surgery, sweetie." Charlie kissed the top of his head. "Let's eat."

"Nice to see you, Bird Brain." Tony nodded once at Clint once Jeremy had run off, the paper bag in his hands.

They ate dinner and Charlie helped Jeremy with his homework before he was allowed to go to the workshop with Tony. Clint called Natasha to check in while Charlie made some popcorn. "Any movement?"

"Nope." Natasha said. There was absolutely nothing happening but she stayed on guard. "Are you with her?"

"Yeah. I'll be heading back in a few minutes." Clint said, glancing over his shoulder at Charlie.

"It's all right." Natasha said. "I can handle this."

"Copy that." Clint replied. He started to hang up but Natasha stopped him.

"Barton? I like her." Natasha ended the call and Clint smiled, slipping his phone back in his pocket.

"Did you have to go?" Charlie asked, her voice sounding a little disappointed.

"Actually, I'm all yours." Clint replied. "What about you? You have to get back to your boyfriend?"

"I don't have one." Charlie smiled at him as she sat on the couch. Clint sat next to her and pretended not to notice Jeremy watching them from the kitchen.

"Nighthawk to Iron Man, we have contact." Jeremy said softly into his spy headset.

"Roger that, Nighthawk." Tony replied. "What's happening now?"

Clint excused himself to get a drink and caught Jeremy as he started to reply. "Iron Man, we've been compromised."

"What are you doing?" Clint asked Jeremy.

"Nothing." Jeremy answered quickly. "I was—um—looking for my contacts?"

"Nice try." Clint chuckled at the boy. "What's really going on?"

Jeremy sighed. "We've been trying to get you back with my mom for weeks now. Is it working?"

"I hope so." Clint replied and sent Jeremy back to the workshop, returning to Charlie with two glasses of wine.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" Charlie teased him as he sat back down.

"That depends. Would it work?" Clint chuckled, putting his arm around her. Charlie let herself snuggle into his side and fell asleep as _Planet of the Apes_ played on the TV.

When she woke up the next morning, she was still curled against Clint, her head resting on his chest. She sat up carefully, not wanting to wake him, and stretched as she went to wake up Jeremy. His breakfast was made and his lunch was packed when he finally joined Charlie in the kitchen, gobbling his breakfast eagerly.

"Bye mom!" Jeremy shouted as he ran out the door. Charlie smiled after her son and collected his dishes, moving them to the sink. Clint had woken up and surprised her when she turned around.

"Good morning." Clint smiled down at her.

"Morning." Charlie handed him a mug of coffee. "You want some breakfast?"

"Sure." He took a drink of his coffee. "Let's go."

"I have to go make myself look presentable." Charlie said, smoothing her hair. "Give me five minutes."

Charlie disappeared into her bedroom, pulling clothes from her dresser and changing quickly. She was tugging a brush through her dark hair when Clint knocked on her door. "Come in."

"I don't want to jinx this but are we okay?" Clint asked.

Charlie put her brush down and sighed. "I won't say that I'm not scared but yeah, we're okay."

"You don't have to be scared, Char." Clint's voice softened as he closed the gap between them. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Charlie shook her head. "I'm more afraid that something will happen to you and one day you won't come home."

"If you're here waiting for me, I'll always be home." Clint promised.

He kissed her deeply and tenderly, his hands on either side of her neck as he stepped even closer to her. She returned his kiss, her hands working the buttons on his shirt and opening it so she could feel the muscles hiding there. His skin was warm and firm against her fingertips. When he felt her hands fall lower to his belt buckle he stopped kissing her. "I'm not that kind of guy. You're gonna have to buy me dinner first."

He chuckled and Charlie raised an eyebrow before she pushed him back and he landed on her bed. She climbed onto his lap and pushed him down on the mattress, lowering her body over his. Her hair fell over her shoulders and Clint brushed it back, taking her face in his hands as she kissed him.

**A/N: You guys are absolutely, positively amazing. The reaction to this has been better than I thought it would be and it's all because of you guys. Please feel free to leave a review. Also please hop over to _Thor_ fics and look up _Power of the Tesseract_. It's not the same as most other Loki fics, I promise. **

**Dalonega: I hope you liked the BW/Charlie interaction. That's especially for you, doll. :)**

**Assantra: Martin and Nightblade are oc's. Nightblade actually makes an appearance in my _Avengers/Agents of SHIELD _crossover. :)**

**PrincessPrettyPants: So, it wasn't totally Tonery that made them get back together but I'm glad everyone likes their antics. Any requests for Tonery shenanigans? Let me know. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

The 'Avengers Appreciation Gala' at Jeremy's school had a great turnout, mostly thanks to Jeremy's incessant begging to have Tony show up as Iron Man. Tony was happy to oblige and spent the night showing off to the children. When it was time for the play however, Tony changed into a regular suit and sat next to Clint and Charlie in the audience. The lights had dimmed and the audience quieted as the play started. Jeremy had the sudden urge to use the restroom and asked one of his teachers for permission to go.

When he finished and was washing his hands, Nick entered the bathroom. "I like your costume."

"Thanks." Jeremy grinned widely as he dried his hands off. "Tony made it for me."

"Is he your dad?" Nick asked, rinsing his hand in the sink.

"No. He's my friend." Jeremy replied, trying to leave.

Nick blocked the door and knelt in front of Jeremy, grabbing his arm. "You should be more careful when you choose your friends."

He covered Jeremy's nose and mouth with a chloroform covered cloth and Jeremy slumped in his arms a few moments later. Nick checked the hall then tossed Jeremy over his shoulder, carrying him outside to the waiting car and locking him inside. Nick leaned against the side of the vehicle and waited for Clint to arrive.

-0-

"Isn't he supposed to be on stage?" Tony whispered to Clint when Jeremy missed his cue.

"Yeah. Where is he?" Clint asked, mostly to himself. He leaned over to whisper to Charlie. "I'm going to go check on Jeremy."

"You sure? I can go." Charlie whispered back.

"It's fine. I'll be right back." Clint got up and made his way from his seat to the hallway, looking for Jeremy. He asked one of the teachers where Jeremy was and she pointed him toward the restroom. Entering the bathroom, he saw a note written on the mirror.

_We've stolen one of the eggs from Hawk's nest. Will he get it back?_

Clint felt his blood boil and started a search of the school, ending up outside. He saw Nick leaning against the black SUV.

"So lovely for you to join us." Nick smirked. "Need a ride?"

"Let him go." Clint demanded. "I won't ask again."

"If it were up to me, I would." Nick said with sarcastic sympathy. "Unfortunately, my boss makes those calls and he would like a word with you. I've been instructed to...persuade you if you resist."

"Persuade me how?" Clint asked, narrowing his eyes.

Nick smiled and tapped on the SUV window behind him. The door opened and Jeremy, now conscious, was shoved to the ground. Nick grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet, holding a knife to his throat. The look of terror in his eyes made Clint grind his teeth. "You come with us or we will kill your boy."

Jeremy whimpered as Nick pressed the knife harder against his skin, drawing a faint line of blood. "I want my mom."

"It's going to be okay, Jer." Clint promised, taking slow and sure steps toward the SUV. He had his hands up in surrender. "I'll go with you just don't hurt him."

Nick moved the knife from Jeremy's neck and opened the SUV door, pushing him inside. Clint climbed in next to him and Nick slammed the door.

"You okay?" Clint asked Jeremy, checking his throat and letting out a breath when he saw it was superficial and would heal easily. "We're going to be fine."

"I want my mom." Jeremy repeated, sniffling and wiping his nose on his sleeve. "I want to go home."

"I'm going to get you home." Clint promised, wrapping an arm around his shoulders comfortingly. "Your uniform looks great."

"Thanks." Jeremy mumbled. He was scared and understandably so. The drive was short and Clint tried to see where he was before Nick had his thug put a bag over his head and escort him inside, where both he and Jeremy were tied to chairs. Nick made a call and soon enough, Martin joined them.

-0-

"They should be back by now." Charlie whispered to Tony. "We should go find them."

Tony nodded, having a bad feeling in his gut as they left the auditorium quietly. Charlie called Clint but it was Martin who answered.

"Why, hello Dr. Harrison." He said with a friendly tone. "What can I do for you?"

"Where is he?" Charlie asked venomously.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you just yet. But I promise you'll be invited to the party soon enough." She could hear his smirk over the phone. "Sit tight and wait for your invitation."

He hung up, leaving Charlie equal parts scared and furious.

"What's up?" Tony asked. "Where's Bird Brain and the Mini Me?"

"That psycho has them." Charlie growled. "The one that kidnapped me."

"Give me your phone." Tony snatched it from her, pulling off the back and unscrewing the protective casing until he had access to the internal hardware. He did a little 'Stark magic' and powered it back up, an arrow blinking on the screen. "Now it's a tracker. Let's go. But first we need to stop by Stark Tower."

"Why?" Charlie asked, staring at the screen as she walked.

"We need to suit up." Tony replied, leading the way to his car. They were at Stark Tower faster than was legally allowed but it was Tony and he was basically allowed to do what he pleased. They went to his workshop and he powered up his suit, standing still while it assembled itself on him. Charlie was tasked with calling Natasha in for back up. "Suit up, Hawkgirl."

"Excuse me?" Charlie asked skeptically. She wasn't going to sit here but she hadn't expected him to be so accepting of that fact.

Tony gestured to his arsenal. "Jeremy wanted to build a suit for you too and we did."

Charlie's suit was painted purple and black. Apparently Jeremy wanted a family theme when it came to heroes. She had to admit the suit would take some getting used to,especially Jarvis.

"_Miss Harrison, your specifications have been uploaded and weapons are fully functional." _

"Thanks, Jarvis." Charlie said. Jarvis uploaded the tracker from her phone and she followed Tony as he shot into the sky.

**A/N: As always, thanks to everybody who reads/follows/favorites/reviews this story. You all are amazing. I'm sorry to say that this story is nearing an end but I was toying with the idea of putting up some one shots of Tonery shennanigans later on. For those of you celebrating Memorial Day this weekend, please be safe and have fun but please thank your veterans and those of you who may be serving in the military, thank you so much! **

**Dalonega: Thanks for your review, doll. :) BW is hard to get even remotely right (at least for me) so I'm glad you think it was good. **

**PrincessPrettyPants: *joins confetti tossing* Yay for fluffy coupley happiness. :)**

**Ariem: Thanks for bringing this to my attention. It's an easy thing to do and not even realize that it happened. :) It's things like this that allow me to make my fics better. :)**


	17. Chapter 17

"Do you know what it's like to have someone you love leave you?" Martin asked Clint as he prepared a syringe filled with a drug. "To have them completely betray you?"

"I'm familiar with the feeling." Clint replied, keeping a close eye on Jeremy.

Martin turned and jabbed the needle into Clint's arm, pushing the plunger and releasing the hallucinatory element into his veins. "This is my specialty—or would have been had my wife not turned to you for help. I call it 'Sweet Dreams'."

Clint could already feel the drug starting to blur the edge of his mind and he shook his head to clear it. He had to keep his head clear to protect Jeremy and to take out Martin...right after he went to talk to that purple hawk flying around.

-0-

The tracker led them to an abandoned candy factory on the edge of the city. Tony checked the perimeter. "We're alone. I guess this guy didn't think we'd find him."

"Let's go." Charlie replied, holding up a hand and firing a blast to the doors.

"_We could have opened them." _Jarvis told her.

"Where's the fun in that?"

-0-

Martin sent Nightblade to investigate when he heard the explosion upstairs, leaving him alone with Clint and Jeremy.

"My mom is going to be really mad when she finds you." Jeremy told Martin, tugging on the ropes that kept him tied to the chair.

"What makes you think she's going to find you?" Martin asked, leaning close to Jeremy. "What makes you think she wants to find you?"

"She'll always take care of me." Jeremy said confidently. "She loves me."

"Parents don't love their children." Martin sneered. "Children are merely disappointments. She's glad t be rid of you."

"You wanna bet?" Charlie answered, firing and hitting him square in the chest. Martin flew back several feet before landing with an 'oompf'. "Let them go."

"Or what?" Martin taunted as he got up. "You're going to kill me? I thought Barton was the assassin and you were the doctor."

"Have you ever seen a mama bear when her cub is threatened?" Charlie asked him, pausing a moment for effect. "You'll wish I was that tame if you don't let my son and Clint go."

"I'm afraid I just don't believe you." Martin said, holding a knife to Jeremy's throat. "Shall we test that theory?"

Charlie fired at his head this time and hit her target easily, knocking Martin to the floor. She approached him, hand aimed at his unmoving body, ready to strike. When he didn't move, Charlie turned to release Jeremy.

"Mom! Behind you!" Jeremy shouted.

She turned and blocked Nightblade's katana as he brought it down, retaliating with a blast of her own. "Jarvis, put everything we have into the lasers. Where the hell is Stark?" 

"I'm coming, Harrison." Tony's voice came over the comm. "I had something to deal with."

"Nightblade is heading your way." Charlie said, checking Jeremy and Clint for injuries. "Can you handle him?"

"Psh. Please." Was Tony's answer.

Charlie's helmet opened and she untied Jeremy then Clint. "What's wrong with him?"

"They gave him something." Jeremy replied.

"I guess that makes him the damsel in distress then." Charlie examined Clint's glazed over eyes, trying to elicit any response from him that made sense. She picked him up and tossed him over her shoulder, thankful for the extra strength she got from her suit. Jeremy went in front of her as they made their way out of the building, exiting just in time for another explosion that brought it crashing down. "Tony! You okay?"

"Never been better." Tony said, appearing next to them. He pointed to Clint. "Isn't he supposed to be the one doing the rescuing?"

"Apparently not." Charlie said. Tony picked up Jeremy and they went to Stark Tower while Charlie took Clint to the hospital. When he was admitted, she went to take off the armor at the Tower then returned to his hospital room, waiting for the drug to pass through his system. It took almost a full day and when Clint woke up, he was alone...and restrained to the hospital bed.

"Good morning sleeping beauty." Charlie teased him, coming back into his room.

"What happened?" Clint asked. "Martin? What happened to him?"

She licked her lips before answering. "I killed him and Tony took care of Nightblade while you were tripping balls. How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Clint said as Charlie read his chart. "Why am I tied down?"

"You were violent while you were drugged. You actually took out a couple of surgeons." Charlie giggled. "I'll admit it was impressive."

"Glad I could entertain you." Clint pulled against the restraints enough to make a point. "You want to let me out of these?"

"I thought about it." Charlie put the chart down then locked the door, approaching the bed with a mischievous look in her eyes. She climbed on the bed, straddling his lap and running a finger down his chest. "But then I got a better idea."

"Is that so?" Clint asked as she lowered her head and nibbled on his neck, his eyes closing involuntarily.

"Yep." Her lips moved against his skin and worked their way to his lips. Her tongue outlined his lips but she didn't let him kiss her just yet. While he had been in his button down shirt and dress pants when he arrived, the staff had changed him into a gown sometime before restraining him. Charlie untied the top and unsnapped the snaps on the sleeves, allowing her to remove the gown, leaving Clint in his boxers. She kissed her way down his chest, loving the way he groaned at her contact.

She sat up and pulled off her t shirt, tossing it on the chair next to the bed before pressing herself against him, both of them moaning when she did so. She finally allowed herself to kiss him and his lips moved eagerly against hers, his tongue begging to move with hers. Her fingers ran through his short hair, her nails scraping his scalp and he tugged against the restraints, desperate to feel her under his hands. His lips moved from hers, kissing and sucking on her neck before he made it to her breasts, kissing the tender mound and making her moan, her breath hot on his ear.

Bucking her hips against his, Charlie felt his manhood twitch against her. She kissed his lips as she did so and it was Clint's breaking point. He growled against her lips. "Get me out of these."

Her fingers trailed down his arms, fingering the buckle on the restraint before she smiled against his lips. "Make me, Hawkeye."

Hearing his code name from her excited him more than he thought it could and either these restraints weren't as strong as they should be or the adrenaline gave him an extra push because, with a loud pop, his arms were free even though the restraints were still cuffed around his wrists they were no longer attached to the bed. His arms immediately went around Charlie, unclasping her bra and yanking off the garment before pulling her tightly against him. "Say it again."

"Make me, Hawkeye." Charlie gasped as he pinned her against the cheap hospital mattress and covered her body with his in a quick movement. His hands moved to the button on her jeans, undoing it quickly and removing the article of clothing before removing both of their underwear. His hand went to her opening and found that she was already ready for him. He pulled one of her legs over his hip as he pushed himself inside, resisting the urge to start hammering into her. Her lips weren't idle as he did so, kissing every inch of skin she could find. She could feel her orgasm building as his hips moved, getting her closer and closer before finally pushing them both over the edge. Clint licked the sheen of sweat from between her breasts as they tried to catch their breath in the aftermath of their love making.

"I feel like those straps should have held longer." Charlie said, giggling as Clint let his hands roam her body as he remained hovering over her.

"Yeah? You're lucky they didn't." Clint muttered as he kissed her.

"Why is that, Agent Barton?" He shivered as her nails trailed gently down his back.

"Because..." Clint lost his train of thought as Charlie's tongue danced against his. She moaned into his mouth as he squeezed her breast, teasing the nipple with his thumb.

"Move in with me." She said breathlessly.

"Mm-hmm." Clint nodded as he reclaimed her lips, grinding against her hips. They both paused when they heard the doorknob rattled then a key in the lock. Charlie pushed him off of her and grabbed her jeans and t shirt, bolting to the bathroom to dress. This left Clint to cover himself with the hospital blanket.

"We're ready to discharge you." Sam was saying as Charlie came out of the bathroom, fixing her hair with her fingers. Sam handed her the discharge papers and disappeared with a smile.

"Let's go home." Clint smiled at Charlie and nodded.

**A/N: We have reached the end of the story, dear readers. A ginormous thanks to those of you who have followed/favorited/reviewed/read this story. You guys are all amazing. I will be posting Tonery oneshots that may turn into a sequel if I can come up with a plot for it. If you guys have any requests for a sequel, please leave any suggestions either in the reviews or PM me. I love all of you! I do have a Supernatural story up titled _Through the eyes of the Artist, _ so if you have a moment, could you read and review that? Thanks if you do! **


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